Elgin claims River title outright despite loss to Sabres
The Streamwood boys basketball team will head into the postseason coming off its biggest win of the season.
The Sabres surprised Upstate Eight River Division champion Elgin, 52-50, on Friday night in front of an energized senior night crowd in Streamwood.
"This gives us great momentum," said Streamwood senior Bobby Post, who scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. "Hopefully we can use this to carry over and push on through."
Neither team led by more than 2 points in the fourth quarter after the Maroons' Kory Brown hit a 3-pointer to open the fourth to tie the game at 40-40. Matt Andres hit a 3-pointer from the left corner with 25 seconds left to give Elgin (20-6, 9-3) a 50-48 lead.
Post hit a pair of free throw with 15 seconds left for a 50-50 tie. The Maroons' Arie Williams lost control of the ball in the backcourt and fouled Jarald Ofiana with 7 seconds remaining. Ofiana, a senior, hit both free throws to give Streamwood (8-18, 4-8) the 52-50 lead. Elgin's Jordan Dean brought the ball up the floor, but his runner off the glass hit off the rim at the buzzer.
"I didn't feel anything," Ofiana said of the foul call. "I knew I was the first one on the floor so if he was the second, obviously the foul would be on him."
The game was close throughout as Elgin's largest lead with five and Streamwood's was three.
The loss ends the Maroons' eight-game win streak. They shot just 39 percent (19-for-49). Despite the loss, Elgin claimed the UEC River Division title outright thanks to St. Charles North's loss to Geneva on Friday.
"Geneva handed us a loss too so it can happen on any given night in the Upstate Eight," Maroons coach Mike Sitter said. "I would have rather won it on our terms instead of having to root for someone else to win the game."
Brown led the Maroons with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Williams added 8 points. Andres and Dean each had 7.
Brandon Larkin-Guilfoyle scored 14 points off the bench for the Sabres.
Streamwood coach Tim Jones tried to temper his excitement as the victory means little if the Sabres don't continue the momentum Monday night when the postseason begins. Streamwood faces Larkin in the play-in game of the Class 4A Larkin regional with the winner playing Elgin on Tuesday. The Sabres have beaten the Royals twice this season.
"This is the end of the regular season. It's a great finish," Jones said. "Now we want to do something in the state tournament. That's the most important thing."