West Aurora rolls past Oswego
For some boys basketball programs a five-year drought between regional championships would be cause for celebration.
But at West Aurora it seemed like an interminable rut after winning 11 titles in a 12-year period with five state berths and a state championship in 2000.
On Friday night at Oswego, though, the Blackhawks dominated play in every respect after a nip-and-tuck first quarter to roll 73-56 at the Panthers' Class 4A regional championship behind five players in double figures.
The Blackhawks' first regional championship since 2006 earned the squad a Tuesday date with Plainfield East (27-1), the top seed in the East Aurora sectional, which denied Neuqua Valley 47-45 on the Wildcats' home court.
Fourth-seeded West Aurora (23-5) ended the red-hot Panthers' season at 17-11.
"I'm just trying to do the same thing (as older brother Johnny Walker) and go downstate," said West Aurora sophomore guard Jontrel Walker, who duplicated the 15 points of backcourt mate Jayquan Lee to spearhead the Blackhawks' second straight one-sided win in the postseason.
But it was frontcourt players Josh McAuley and Juwan Starks who established the early trends that become intractable obstacles for the No. 12 Panthers.
West Aurora appeared to collectively establish its own glass-cleaning business in dismantling the Panthers' hopes for the upset.
The Blackhawks' 20-7 edge in first-half rebounding swelled to 36-17 for the game after Starks had 10 rebounds to lead all players.
McAuley, who overcame foul trouble to score 11 points, snare 8 rebounds and block 2 shots, and seventh-man Spencer Thomas, the final West Aurora player in double figures with 10 points, added 8 rebounds each.
"The battle of the boards speaks for itself," Oswego coach Brian Schnable said. "West (Aurora) proved the theory that defense wins championships. They were the better team in every phase of the game."
The Blackhawks scored 8 straight first-quarter points to erase the Panthers' only two leads of the game, and all five starters scored from the field in the second quarter to help stake the squad to a 36-20 lead at the intermission.
"I thought the rebounding and the defense in the first half set the tone," said West Aurora coach Gordie Kerkman, who collected his 21st career regional championship since 1977. "We just kept switching (on defense), and (the Oswego players) had nowhere to go."
West Aurora ceased all doubt with its precision ball movement and unselfish play in the third quarter, erupting for 23 points to end all suspense.
Walker hit his first 2 shots and then proceeded to assist on three straight possessions.
Starks played his superb all-around game as always, scoring 13 points, the previously mentioned game-high rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
"We tried so hard the last three or four years (to win a regional)," the four-year starter said.
Ryan West led three Oswego players in scoring with a game-best 21 points.