Streator edges Burlington Central

Burlington Central was poised for a quarterfinal appearance at the Plano Christmas Classic, but Streator guard JJ Cravatta had alternative plans for the Rockets Tuesday morning.

The Bulldogs’ senior standout converted an inside score and was fouled in the process to not only forge the last of eight ties but also create the ninth lead change of the boys basketball game with 56 seconds remaining on the 3-point play.

Central had two opportunities to take the lead or possibly send the game into overtime, only to have a critical charging foul and a pair of shots in the final 10 seconds fail. Cravatta hit 2 free throws with 4.1 seconds to play to cement the Bulldogs’ 58-54 victory over the Rockets in second-round play.

“I was trying to penetrate and make something happen,” Cravatta said of his driving score in traffic that momentarily tied the game at 54-54. “I wanted to make sure I made the basket or drew the contact.”

Ray Hunnicutt was once again the Rockets’ go-to player at the 49th annual tournament; the senior guard, who led Central with 17 points, scored on a 12-foot jumper on the preceding possession to give the Rockets their final lead of the game at 54-52.

“We just didn’t execute (in the final minute),” Hunnicutt said. “They were dribbling through us and getting open shots. That’s how (the game) turned in the second half.”

“(Hunnicutt) is a great player,” said Cravatta, who led both teams with 32 points. “I have to give him credit; he took over for his team.”

Central reserve guard Malik Harris’ driving score gave Central a 48-43 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but the sixth-seeded Bulldogs (8-2) responded with a 9-4 run capped by a Teke Scudder 3-pointer that knotted the game at 52.

The fourth quarter was emblematic of the entire game as Streator had mini-spurts to compensate for similar runs by Central.

The Rockets (6-5), the No. 11 seed who will face Morris in consolation play today, scored the opening 6 points of the game. But the extended periods of poor shooting that the squad was able to overcome against Lisle in its opener on Monday proved too intractable against the Bulldogs. The Rockets were a collective 22 of 61 from the field (36 percent) against Streator, which will play Kaneland in the first quarterfinal today.

“Throughout the tournament we haven’t shot the ball very well at all,” Central coach Brett Porto said. “It has cost us.” Streator led by one after the first, and the game was tied at both halftime (23-23) and the end of the third (39-all). Harris complemented Hunnicutt with 10 points, but the team failed to score in the final 1:11 as Streator rattled off the last 6 points.

“We didn’t value every possession (down the stretch),” Hunnicutt said.

Moter Deng and Bryce Warner added 7 points apiece for the Rockets.