Neuqua Valley doubles up Aurora Central in second half
Neuqua Valley had about enough of Aurora Central Catholic's Mario May. Then the Wildcats put it away.
May's 5 first-half 3-pointers allowed the Chargers to initially threaten the favored Wildcats, who doubled ACC's second-half scoring to win 85-55 Saturday at the 49th annual East Aurora Holiday Tournament.
"The first half they were knocking down shots," said Neuqua's Connor Raridon, whose 23 points led all scorers and four teammates in double figures.
"I think 55, he was hitting a lot," Raridon said of the Chargers' 6-foot-4 senior. "But in the second half we got up and pressured them more and forced them to turn the ball over a little more, and that was key for us tonight."
May's eighth point in the first three minutes - a simple lane jumper after a pair of 3s - gave Aurora Central an 8-7 lead. Raridon, Jacob Eminger and Neuqua Valley (11-1) came right back and though pressed the Wildcats never trailed again.
May notched two 3s in the first quarter and 3 more in the second. Nick Faltz added his sole 3-pointer with 5.3 seconds before halftime, cutting Neuqua's lead to 41-35.
"I saw (May) hit one yesterday," said Neuqua coach Todd Sutton. "But I didn't know he could hit two, three, four and five."
"I think that's a career best," said May, whose 21 points led teammates Faltz with 11 and Mac Cowen with 10. "I've hit shots in pickup, but I don't think ever in a game. I felt really good and it kept going in the first half."
Aurora Central (3-6) kept it going early in the third quarter, too. Evan Schuetz used English to spin the ball in, was fouled and made the free throw to bring the Chargers within 45-42 with 2:54 left in the third quarter.
Neuqua Valley closed the quarter on an 11-0 run. It started with a Jacob Cushing 3 and ended on Oakley Bunce's three-point play to enter the fourth up 61-45.
Headed by Joe Sieger and point guard Demond George, six Wildcats scored in the fourth quarter, outpacing ACC 24-10. Jacob Eminger finished with 19 points, George with 11, Sieger 10.
"You just make a couple shots and the momentum kind of turns a little bit," Sutton said.
Wheaton Academy 59, Lincoln-Way Central 19:
A basketball team's chances of winning are enhanced when holding an opponent to 1 first-half field goal.
Trapping defense enabled Wheaton Academy to win its third straight game, 59-19 over Lincoln-Way Central on Saturday at the East Aurora Holiday Tournament. Shifting zone to man-to-man defenses held the Knights to 1 first-quarter free throw and 1 second-quarter basket in a first half Wheaton Academy led 25-7.
"The things that we've been asking them to do are slowly coming to fruition, and it takes time," said Warriors coach Pete Froedden, proudly noting his team's consistent effort.
"When you've got a young team that's just trying to learn each other, learn what they're doing, learn what I expect from them it just takes time. And to their credit they're just staying the course," he said.
Though 11 Warriors players scored, headed by Jacob Lindstedt with 12 points, Bryce Sandberg with 11 and Evan Williams with 9, Wheaton Academy (4-8) didn't need an offensive juggernaut to down Lincoln-Way Central (2-8).
Not when the Warriors' defense - all arms, legs and, as Froedden continually ordered, "Hands" - allowed only 5 field goals for the game. Guard John Skiniotes came off coach Bob Curran's bench to led Lincoln-Way Central with 7 points.
On a Lindstedt basket with 3:11 left in the third quarter the Warriors led 31-7. Led by Sandberg's long-range efforts, Wheaton Academy used a 16-1 run to go up 51-17 with 2:34 left in the game.
"In that (eight-game) losing streak we had we were all really quiet on the court, not really talking to each other, and that kind of spread us out from each other," Lindstedt said.
"What really got us going is just talking with each other and really talking the game."