Stevenson edges Prospect to win regional crown

Friday night at Prospect’s Jean Walker Fieldhouse, Stevenson’s Aidan Bardic came to play defense.

Bardic tightened his belt in the second half to help the Patriots to a 43-40 win in the Class 4A regional final.

With time running out and 6.9 seconds remaining, the Knights ran a play for either Drew Terpins or Aidan Walter to take a three-point shot.

Terpins’ shot was contested by Bardic and the ball bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded.

"We let him (Terpins) get to his spots and we let him walk all over us in the first half," said Bardic about Terpins’ 14 first-half points. "In the second half we tried face-guarding him and denying him the ball. I wanted to guard him at the end and it worked out.

"We stayed together mentally and didn't let their large crowd affect us. We stayed locked in. We just had to make the right plays."

"Prospect played us very hard and very physical," said Stevenson coach Will Benson. "We had to make the big plays when we had to. We had to make adjustments on Terpins, he was killing us in the first half. We played him tough and found a way to get it done."

Terpins would score only two baskets in the second half, both in the third quarter.

The Knights (23-10) tied the game at 36 on Walter's three-point basket with 5:41 left in the game.

Stevenson (22-8), who will play Barrington in next week’s Elgin sectional, took the lead for good on Kevin Clement’s basket on a drive down the lane with 5:22 left for a 38-36 lead. Bardic, who would score 9 points, hit two free throws with 4:18 remaining for a 40-36 lead.

Frankie Poshnjari's basket for Prospect closed the score to 40-38.

Rocco Pagliocca (12 points) had his second putback basket before Cole Chapman hit two free throws for the Knights to make it 42-40 with 1:02 left.

Pagliocca hit one of two free throws with :35 left.

"We moved the ball pretty well tonight," said Pagliocca. "We set good screens in trying to get players open. We did a great job crashing the boards and got some second chances. Getting five baskets on putbacks was the difference in the game. It really meant a lot."

"How many times were we able to do that to our opponents this year," said Prospect coach Brad Rathe. "Nobody has done that to us all year. You have to give Stevenson credit for that. Ten points in a game like this one was just huge. They are a good team, and they don't have a lot of weaknesses. They are solid. You can't make mistakes against a team like that."

Prospect opened an 11-6 lead in the first quarter as Terpins (18 points) scored seven of those points.

But Stevenson rallied with a 10-0 run to lead 16-11 at quarter’s end.

The Patriots maintained a 21-20 halftime lead with Pagliocca connecting on a three-point play a second before halftime.

Bardic's two free throws to end the third quarter gave Stevenson a 34-33 lead.

"The kids stuck together in a tough environment. I know a couple of the kids wanted to avenge last year’s last second sectional loss to them," said Benson.

Jack Daabs scored 8 points and had 6 rebounds for Stevenson. Atticus Richmond and Armand Burris each scored six points.

Stevenson shot 16 of 38 from the field and the Knights 16 of 35.