A substantial win for Neuqua Valley in 69-49 win over Plainfield North
Off the top of his head, Dwayne Evans couldn't recall a run like it this season.
"Every game has runs, I can't remember a specific one," said the Neuqua Valley junior, "but this one was substantial."
You win 30 games, it's a familiar sight, too.
Looking every bit like a No. 1 seed, Neuqua Valley blitzed No. 5 Plainfield North with a 23-2 run to end the first half. That rush carried the Wildcats to a 69-49 win at the Class 4A Oswego East sectional and into Friday's championship game.
"We hadn't really been hitting shots the last couple games," said Evans, who had 13 points and 6 rebounds, "but that second quarter everything was falling for us. And we were playing outstanding defense."
Plainfield North crept to within 6 in the fourth quarter - but the game wasn't near the nail-biter of Neuqua Valley's come-from-behind regional wins over Benet and Batavia.
"We assumed it was going to be a close game and we were going to need to play tough to win," said Neuqua's Derek Raridon, who scored 25 points and missed only two shots all night. "We played a lot better defense in the second quarter than the first quarter. It opened up a lot more shots."
Plainfield North (26-5) led 19-18 a minute into the second quarter, when Raridon hit a pair of innocent-looking free throws to give Neuqua (30-1) the lead. A Raridon three-point play off an inbounds and two more free throws made it an eight-point game. Evans double pumped and threw in a one-handed rainbow of a shot for a three-point play to make it 30-19.
Three minutes later, Rahjan Muhammad ended the half by burying a jumper off a Plainfield North turnover in the backcourt for a 41-21 score.
"We just looked defeated," said Tigers coach Nick DiForti, who lost starting point guard Reggie Lemon to a nagging hamstring injury a minute into the game. "We missed a couple layups, did not make our free throws and it seemed like the world ended."
Plainfield North's guards were able to routinely peel around Neuqua's perimeter defense - but were met by a pair of shot-blockers in Evans and Kareem Amedu with bad intentions. Evans had 6 blocks, and his length limited Tigers shooter Ryan Crow to 4 points and zero 3-pointers.
"We'd get by him," DiForti said, "and think we're past him and the next thing you know the ball is out of bounds because he swatted it from behind. He's 6-foot-5. With his arms up, forget about it."
A Plainfield North 11-0 run cut Neuqua's cushion to 46-39 a minute into the fourth quarter, but Raridon hit a pair of back-breaking 3-pointers to stem the tide, one on an inbounds after a timeout.
"That was one set play we ran," Wildcats coach Todd Sutton said, "and Drew Sutton made some great passes."
"Somebody had to hit a big shot," Raridon said, "fortunately coach Sutton called two plays for me to get open."
Amedu added 8 points and Muhammad 6 for Neuqua, which next plays the winner of tonight's Naperville Central-Bolingbrook semifinal. Chants of "we want Central" left no doubt whom the Neuqua students wish for.
"I guess playing Central would be cool," Evans said, "just because of Drew (Crawford). But whoever comes to play, we'll play."
CLASS 4A OSWEGO EAST SECTIONAL SEMIFINALS
NEUQUA VALLEY 69, PLAINFIELD NORTH 49
Plainfield North - Lemon 0 0-0 0, Klett 3 0-0 6, Frank 2 4-5 8, Crow 2 0-1 4, Daniel 2 0-2 4, McMath 6 5-7 19, Davis 3 0-0 6, Graziano 1 0-1 2. Totals: 19 9-16 49.
Neuqua Valley - Brown 1 2-6 4, Muhammad 3 0-0 6, Raridon 7 7-7 25, Evans 4 5-7 13, Amedu 3 2-2 8, Sutton 1 2-2 4, Wagner 0 0-0 0, Shonkwiler 1 0-0 2, Waeghe 2 0-0 4, Reed 1 0-0 3, Sutter 0 0-0 0, Moss 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 18-24 69.
Plainfield North 15 6 16 12 -49
Neuqua Valley 18 23 5 23 -69
3-point baskets: PN: McMath 2. NV: Raridon 4, Reed. Fouled out: PN: Klett. Rebounds: PN: 27 (Davis, Crow 5). NV: 27 (Amedu 8). Blocks: NV: Evans 6. Turnovers: PN: 16. NV: 20.