Peoria's depth, athleticism too much for Geneva
Dan Trimble was in as good a rhythm as possible in opening-round action of the East Aurora Holiday Tournament on Monday afternoon.
The Geneva senior forward hit three 3-pointers in succession early in the second quarter of the Vikings boys basketball team's contest against perennial state power Peoria Central.
With 4:33 remaining before the break, Trimble had scored 16 of the Vikings' 25 points as his last field goal from beyond the arc gave Geneva the lead.
It would, however, be the only advantage the Vikings enjoyed against the Lions in a 64-41 loss in Aurora.
The Vikings (5-8) will face Walther Lutheran (3-6), which needed overtime to dispatch Chicago Hope, in second-round pool play Tuesday afternoon.
Peoria Central, which won consecutive Class AA state titles in 2003 and ‘04, improved to 5-3.
The Lions' combination of superior athleticism, depth and size proved too much for Geneva to overcome; Central held Trimble to 2 points the remainder of the game, and the Vikings managed only 15 points after the intermission, which began with the Lions holding a 32-26 lead.
“I think we just came out flat (after halftime) and didn't run our offense,” Trimble said. “They had a bunch of fresh legs. They really pushed the ball (on offense).”
The Vikings forward hit four shots from beyond the arc in the first 11-plus minutes, helping Geneva overcome an early 13-6 hole.
But the Lions responded with spirited play from its point guard Deontray Dorsey and equally compelling contributions from its deep bench.
Ten players would ultimately score for Central, which took its 6-point lead into the intermission behind a 3-point play by Dorsey in the waning seconds of the second quarter.
“Our strength is numbers,” said Peoria coach Dan Ruffin. “Our kids made some great adjustments (against Trimble). We told the kids to stop losing contact (with him).”
Dan Hince scored for the Vikings to trim their deficit to 34-29 early in the third, but Peoria began asserting its superior quickness and athleticism with great affect.
“It was like a massive storm that hit,” Geneva coach Phil Ralston said. “This was a game Peoria Central imposed its will on us. They literally wore us down. We just weren't patient enough on offense.”
As the deficit mounted late in the third quarter, the Geneva players were noticeably forcing the issue.
It only played into the hands of Peoria, which used a 5-point run by Marvin Nunn bridging the last two quarters to take a commanding 48-33 lead.
Geneva was further compromised by 27 turnovers, and other than the game-high 18-point effort from Trimble, Brad Bernhard (5 points) was the lone player to tally more than four.
Dorsey and Travis Kellum paced Peoria with 12 points each.