Defense carries W. Aurora to sectional title
Former St. Charles East boys basketball coach Brian Clodi was once asked to size up the latest West Aurora edition before a big game in 2006.
“The thing about West Aurora is, year in and year out they are probably the best defensive team in the entire state,” Clodi said. “That's why they win year after year.”
Friday night at the Class 4A East Aurora championship, the Blackhawks' trademark in-your-face man-to-man defense was vital to its 14th sectional title since 1973 with a 69-61 victory over upstart Metea Valley.
“It's why they're still playing,” Metea Valley coach Bob Vozza said of the Blackhawks' smothering defense that played out before a near-capacity crowd at the Tomcats' iconic basketball cathedral. “(West Aurora) did a great job of taking away our first option and second option.”
West Aurora sixth-man Brandon Gossett hit a 3-pointer two minutes into the second quarter to erase the last of the Mustangs' six leads. In systematically assembling a 29-21 lead at halftime, West Aurora limited Metea Valley to 8-for-27 from the field.
“Coach (Gordie Kerkman) always gets on us about defense,” West Aurora four-year senior standout Juwan Starks said. “It's a sheer will to win. Brandon and I were talking all week about how much this means as seniors. I told he and Jontrel (Walker, who led the Blackhawks with 22 points), ‘(The Mustangs are) not going to take it (the sectional championship) from us.'”
As the Blackhawks' pushed their spread to double digits for the first of several occasions in the third quarter, Metea Valley compounded its way with impatience on the offensive end that resulted in a cardinal sin of the sport.
“We tried to get (the lead) back on one possession,” Vozza said of his players' nearly exclusive perimeter attack in the frame.
But Kenny Obendorf, who led all players with 25 points, had three 3-point possessions in the quarter to get the Mustangs to 46-37 after three quarters.
“They were able to pressure us,” Obendorf said of the Blackhawks' defense, which featured West Aurora players switching assignments on a regular basis. “We couldn't get enough stops to keep up with them.”
Metea Valley missed 27 of its 40 attempts through three quarters, though a late barrage of 3-pointers made the final score more palatable.
Spencer Thomas' play has come to personify the Blackhawks' play in their postseason run. Thomas' game-high 12 rebounds enabled West Aurora to enjoy a 37-25 advantage on the glass.
“Kerkman is always harping on us about defense,” Thomas said. “None of us wants to lose. I want to go all the way.”
“We defended them a little bit better than they defended us,” Kerkman said. “I was very pleased with our man defense. It's always sweet to win the sectional, even sweeter to win the super.”
West Aurora gets its chance Tuesday night against unbeaten Proviso East at the Hinsdale Central supersectional.