Shots don't drop, so Immaculate Conception ousted
If only Immaculate Conception had convinced one or two more layups to drop through the net instead of bouncing off the rim.
If only Immaculate Conception had shot better than 12 of 26 at the free-throw line.
If only the Knights could have played someone anyone other than Walther Lutheran for a third time this season.
Instead top-seeded Immaculate Conception lost to the No. 2 Broncos 54-52 in Friday's Class 2A Westmont regional final.
"The whole key to the game was missed free throws. If we make our free throws it's not even close," Knights coach Darren Howard said.
The Knights (24-4) never led in the game, Walther Lutheran (17-12) getting the advantage for good at 6-4 on a Jon Fuqua basket midway through the first quarter. The Broncos hit their biggest lead with 4:17 left in the fourth, a pair of Fuqua free throws making the score 46-37.
The Knights bounced back, cutting the margin to 1 a couple of times, including when Brian Harvey's 3-pointer dropped with 8.0 seconds to go. But in the final minutes the Broncos did what the Knights couldn't: make free throws.
"We weren't able to stop them on defense," IC senior point guard John Cheng said. "They were getting to the basket. We didn't convert on our free throws or layups and it cost us the game."
The Broncos contained Cheng the whole game, holding him to 4 points before he fouled out with 2:15 to go, the first time he came out of the game.
"The kid got us to a 24-3 record, there's no way I'm taking him off the floor with six minutes to go in a championship game," Howard said.
"Cheng is their leader, and we took him out of the game," Broncos coach Al Lainio said. "Our key was keep him in front of us and keep him out of the lane, and today we did a heck of a job with that."
Junior Demetrius Carr and Harvey picked up the scoring load, each totaling 19 points, with Harvey adding 15 rebounds.
"He hit some clutch shots, I'll give him credit," Lainio sad. "He's a man down there."
Fuqua led Walther Lutheran with 18 points and 4 blocked shots. Guards Patrell Green and Jeff Walker added 17 and 10 points, respectively, as the Broncos defeated their Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division rivals for the first time this season.
"Once the third time comes around they know exactly what you're doing," IC junior Adam Muellers said. "They know your offense, your defense, your strategy and everything."