Aurora Central loses star DeMyers
Aurora Central Catholic’s 56-55 loss to Plainfield Central on Tuesday was indeed a bitter loss.
At the tail end of the game, Aurora Central’s 6-foot-5 forward Robert DeMyers leapt to block a shot and upon landing suffered an apparent leg injury, Chargers coach Nathan Drye said after the game.
DeMyers went straight to a hospital to assess the damage. In an email Wednesday morning, Drye said DeMyers sustained a fractured fibula. A timetable for his return had yet to be established.
DeMyers had gotten off to a fantastic start to his senior season. Through five games he already had blocked 38 shots, or 7.6 a game.
“He’s not as tall as a lot of shot blockers, so I think people take it for granted,” Drye said before Tuesday’s game. “He’s got good timing and he gets off the floor quickly. He can read when the ball’s coming up. He goes up and gets it.”
Before the Plainfield Central game, in which DeMyers scored 13 points, he’d averaged 15.2 points and 12.2 rebounds. Against Plainfield North he scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and 11 blocks, the first triple-double by a Charger in Drye’s eight-year tenure. Against Rich South DeMyers registered his second triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 11 blocks.
He’d even drastically improved the main weakness of his junior year, free-throw shooting. A 40.1 percent foul shooter in 2010-11, this season he was making 61.2 percent of his free throws entering Tuesday’s game.
“He’s just been playing great. He’s showing a very diverse game and impacting in a lot of ways,” Drye said before the injury.
Overcoming adversityIf Geneva can continue to hurdle the speed bumps it navigated a week ago Friday, this boys basketball season will be a success regardless of wins and losses.Onto Geneva#146;s home court last Friday strode Elgin, the favorite to repeat as the Upstate Eight Conference River Division champion. The Maroons were off a 4-0 start and a second straight title of Buffalo Grove#146;s Thanksgiving tournament.Geneva#146;s point guard, Phil Lorenz, was out with a broken finger; starting forward Ben Rogers, a football wide receiver, was off on a college trip; and swingman Mike Trimble has a broken hand.That#146;s not a recipe for success.There#146;s more. In the first of three overtime sessions against Elgin big Drew White #8212; who hit Elgin with 10 points #8212; sat on the bench with five fouls. Starting guard Ryan Willing was having a fit with leg cramps behind that bench. Another guard, Mark Becker, was checking that all his parts were intact after he got whacked in the jaw.Despite all that the Vikings beat Elgin, 66-64. Geneva, which played Streamwood on Wednesday and visits St. Charles East on Saturday, triumphed despite trailing 64-60 in the third overtime, on Becker#146;s three-point play and John Swiderski#146;s steal and 2 free throws with 30 seconds left to provide the eventual game-winning point.Last season, Elgin hosted Geneva in the Vikings#146; seventh game of the season. The Maroons won 56-34, but a little over a month later the Vikings won 56-47 on their home floor.Stay tuned. This season#146;s rematch at Elgin is on Jan. 20.The Batavia report:A 1-4 start entering Thursday#146;s game against St. Charles East did not dismay Batavia coach Jim Roberts. #147;We#146;ve played in all four of our losses #8212; except for a blowout with Kaneland #8212; we#146;ve played people down to the end,#148; said the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Famer.He said the Bulldogs#146; rebounding has been positive, and the true strength has been ball distribution. That figures since point guard Mike Rueffer is back at the helm after starting as a sophomore. Shooting would be an area of improvement as is #8212; as always #8212; defense. Roberts wasn#146;t going to use Batavia#146;s lengthy football playoff run to the Class 6A semifinals as an excuse. In fact, 6-foot-6 senior Cole Gardner came fast off the blocks, literally, to score 19 points in the Bulldogs#146; sole win, 53-49 over Crystal Lake South in the season opener.Leading scorers have typically been a list of usual suspects #8212; Gardner, Rueffer and junior guard Jack Pollack.But junior forward Luke Horton came through with a team-high 17 points in a 58-48 loss at Quincy in the annual meeting between the two legendary programs.#147;He had the best game of his varsity career Saturday night in a very tough environment,#148; Roberts said.Overall, the coach is looking for nothing more than consistency, he said. #147;I think it#146;s the biggest umbrella statement you could make,#148; he said. #147;I think we#146;d like to improve.#148;Dave Heun contributed to this report.