Randle, Rock Island light up ACC
Aurora Central didn't get a victory bringing in the state's No. 2 ranked Class 3A team Rock Island Saturday night, but that's not to say they - and Rocks star guard Chasson Randle didn't give the fans quite a show.
After falling behind 34-10 early in the second quarter, the Chargers chipped away the rest of the night. They got as close as 78-66 in the fourth quarter before the 22-2 Rocks headed back on their 2-hour drive west with an 82-66 victory.
Chargers senior guard Ryan Harreld led the comeback with 22 points including back-to-back 3-pointers in the third quarter after Rock Island had built a 58-35 lead.
Harreld also had as good of look as any at Randle, the Rocks standout senior who picked Stanford last fall over Purdue and Illinois. Randle scored a season-high 35 points, just two off his career-high set two years ago.
"He's an all-around player," Harreld said. "He's fast, he can dribble, he can shoot. He's the best player we've seen all year. He's great."
Randle scored 9 points in the first quarter, 11 in the second, 9 in the third and 6 in the fourth. He made 15 of his 19 shots from the field including 3 of 5 on 3s, and both free throws.
That efficiency was what most impressed Chargers coach Nate Drye, who laughed out loud in disbelief when told Randle had 35.
"I don't even remember him scoring 35," Drye said. "He looked really good but it didn't seem like 35. I thought he had like 25. What a phenomenal player. He's just so good. I didn't realize he had 35, that's something else."
The most spectacular of Randle's points came on an alley-oop dunk in the second quarter that put the Rocks up 30-10. Even the fans in the Chargers student section were exchanging high-fives after the slam.
Randle also grabbed 11 rebounds and had 3 steals.
"He's pretty good, there is no short-selling him," Drye said. "He's such a composed player out there. It's different than a lot of high-profile players. He plays totally under control the whole time. He makes all his shots. He goes to the basket. He makes all the right passes, he makes all the right plays. It's in almost an unassuming fashion."
Both Randle and his coach Tom Sigel downplayed the performance.
"I played an all-right game," said Randle, who averages 21.7 points a game and scored 22 last year against ACC. "I let my man beat me a couple times. But I think I played a decent game. I'm a tough critic, chasing perfection."
"That's kind of what he can do," said Sigel, who was pleased with how his team's fast start Saturday coming off a Western Big 6 rivalry win Friday over Moline. "That wasn't one of those wow performances. It was, but he usually does that stuff pretty often."
Twenty-four turnovers killed the Chargers (11-12), who kept the margin from getting out of hand by hitting 24 of 50 shots including eight 3-pointers.
"To beat them you have to play really well for four quarters and we didn't do that," Drye said. "They are obviously really good. We can't start like that and get down. I was very happy the way we kept battling. Part of it was adjusting to what they were doing. Once we did we were a little better."
Paul Kaminski followed Harreld with 12 points for ACC, including a stretch of 7 straight in the fourth quarter as the Chargers fought back against a team that has only lost to Peoria Notre Dame and East St. Louis.
Joey McEachern (8 points), Robert DeMyers (7 points, 8 rebounds) and recent call-up Matt Myers (6 points, two 3-pointers) each made plays to help cut into the Rocks' lead.
Playing that caliber of team in front of a nearly packed Aurora Central gym and battling back from the early 24-point deficit left Drye feeling good about the night. Drye hopes to continue the series next year.
"It was a great experience for our kids to have them in here and play a team that good," Drye said. "It was fun."