Marshall ends St. Viator's postseason march
Marshall made St. Viator face one of its biggest fears right away in Tuesday's Class 3A Hoffman Estates boys basketball supersectional.
And the Lions attacked the early 9-point deficit and all the others throughout the game with the fearlessness that defined their history-making season.
But Marshall also had a big finish left as it scored 12 of the final 15 points to pull away to a 63-51 victory before more than 2,000 at Hoffman Estates High School.
"They were like a rash," said second-year Marshall coach Henry Cotton with an admiring smile about Viator. "They wouldn't go away."
But the Commandos (25-7) never trailed in their 15th victory in 16 tries. They will play for their 10th state trophy in Friday's 12:15 p.m. semifinal at the Peoria Civic Center's Carver Arena against hometown Richwoods (29-2), which beat Oswego 61-44 in the Northern Illinois University supersectional.
Viator (24-7) saw its most successful season in school history come to an end as senior point guard Alan Aboona scored a game-high 24 points. Aboona also hit five 3-pointers despite sitting for a 7:04 stretch of the second half with four fouls.
"We fought the whole game trying to get back into it, but it was just an uphill battle the entire time," said Viator senior Richard McLoughlin, who had 9 points and 7 rebounds.
"The start really hurt us," Aboona said of Viator committing 6 of its 18 turnovers in falling behind 13-4. "We were trying to get back in the game all game, but once we did I think we ran out of gas."
Marshall had plenty left after McLoughlin hit 2 free throws with 2:42 left to get Viator within 51-48.
The Commandos spread the floor and a baseline drive by Alfonso McKinnie (13 points, 10 rebounds) off a Sam Puckett feed with 2:25 left started their decisive 8-0 run.
"All you want coming into the game is to say you have a chance to win the game with three minutes left," Aboona said. "We had a chance but we didn't come away with it."
The Lions weren't given many opportunities, either, as Marshall committed only 2 of its 10 turnovers after halftime and none in the final 12:18.
Marshall responded to Aboona's tying 3 at 19-19 with a 10-point run. Aboona went out with his fourth foul with 4:53 left in the third and Viator trailing 33-26.
Viator senior starter Jack Etchingham and sophomore reserve Chris Myjak also fouled out.
"Once (Aboona) was out of the game we kind of relaxed and the whole team started hitting shots," Marshall junior point guard Keifer Sykes said after scoring 10 of his 17 points in the final 9:34.
Senior Brendan King sparked a rally within 37-35 with a 3 and a pullup jumper.
"I felt like Alan had done it for us all year," King said after scoring 7 of his 9 points in the third. "I thought it was my time to hopefully keep us in the game because we were struggling offensively."
Aboona came back with 5:49 left and a 44-36 deficit. After a foul and technical foul, Aboona hit 4 free throws and a right-corner 3 as the partisan Viator crowd erupted with thoughts of an upset.
Julian Sipiora's tough inside turnaround got Viator within 46-45 at 4:52 but it missed its last two chances to tie after Leevon Carter's rebound basket for Marshall.
"It's just a quality group," said 23rd-year Viator coach Joe Majkowski. "I knew they would never quit and would keep fighting. They certainly did that the whole game."