Exit strategy works for Vikes

A 1-point game that comes down to the final shot gives coaches a chance to match wits and strategies.

For example, if you are up 3 in the final seconds, do you foul, or do you let the other team get a 3-pointer that can potentially tie the game?

Geneva's Tim Pease showed his preference in the Vikings' 70-69 win over St. Charles North Saturday night, fouling the North Stars with 7 seconds left before Jonathan DeMoss had the chance to launch the potential game-tying shot.

The strategy worked. DeMoss made both free throws to make it a 1-point game, but that wound up being as close as the North Stars would get.

"It's happened so many times where they've come down and hit a 3 and now it's tied," Pease said. "At worst I want to walk away with a 1-point lead and the ball with whatever time is left."

Then it was St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin's turn. With DeMoss at the line and seven seconds left, DeMoss made the first free throw to cut it to a 2-point deficit.

Should he miss the second on purpose, giving his team a chance at the offensive rebound and tying the game with a putback? Or does he have a better chance by making the free throw, then trying to force a turnover or foul Geneva to get the ball back one more time?

DeMoss went ahead and swished the second free throw, making it a 70-69 game. St. Charles North fouled Geneva, the Vikings missed both free throws, and Poulin's team wound up with a good look at what would have been a game-winning shot at the buzzer.

"I did think about missing the second one but I'd rather take the points and make it a 1-point game," Poulin said. "We almost got a 5 count, we got a quick foul and we got a shot at the end that we could have ended up at the line as easily as we didn't end up at the line."

Nothing free here: The game wouldn't have come down to the final shot if Geneva had done a better job at the free-throw line. The Vikings made just 10 of 20 in the game, including 2 of 7 in the final 1:35.

"Horrible," Pease said. "We work on that every day. But you still have to step up in those situations and knock them down. We were very, very fortunate to get that W."

Then again, any victory was a good victory for Geneva after a 97-84 loss to Rochelle the night before. The loss gave Batavia a one-game lead over Geneva in the Western Sun Conference race.

"(Friday) night was goofy, it wasn't that we played that horribly," Pease said. "It was a track meet and circus out there. We did a lot of good things, and got on the bus with a loss."

On fire: DeMoss earned praise from both coaches after his game-high 22 points Saturday night. The night before, DeMoss scored a game-high 19 points against East Aurora.

A junior who has been playing varsity since his freshman year, DeMoss is showing the fruits of his hard work, according to his coach.

"He's a tireless worker," Poulin said. "He's in the gym every second he's allowed to be. He's more of the leader by example. He's learning to be on the ball more this year. What he's picking up is the game within the game. Right now physically he's there and mentally he's growing. We're really proud of him. He's put in the work."

Another junior for the North Stars, Zach Hirsch, continues to burn teams from the arc. He made four 3-pointers against East Aurora and then four more vs. Geneva.

"People tend to leave him open, I don't know why," Poulin said after the win over East Aurora. "I don't know if people don't scout us or what. We say it every day in practice. If he's open, you basically can count on it going in. When we spot him up on the penetration we can get with Jon and (Nick) Neari and some of our other guards, we penetrate and pitch and usually a good outcome."

Injury update: Poulin said big man Danny Jimenez sprained his ankle in practice a week ago and is still at least a week from returning.

Poulin said one reason the North Stars have been able to recover from a 2-7 start to their current 9-9 record is coming up with a more consistent rotation.

"We wanted to get a core group," Poulin said. "To analyze myself, I think I was playing so many people we weren't getting into a rhythm. I think we have quality basketball players who aren't playing right now. So it's a tough situation when you know this kid could be playing, but you have to find that core group. On any different night somebody else is going to step up. It's tough but a good problem to have."

Exciting weekend awaits: St. Charles North's game at St. Charles East Saturday night is one of several fans have to look forward to this weekend.

Friday night, Aurora Central can go a long way toward winning its first Suburban Catholic Conference championship by beating St. Francis at home. The Spartans have only lost one conference game, that to the Chargers (17-1, 8-0).

In addition to the battle of St. Charles Saturday, Batavia heads to the Sears Centre for the second straight year. Last year, Phil Albrecht drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Bulldogs a win over West Aurora. Batavia will try to repeat that result when it plays Marshall at 8:30 p.m. in the final of three games at the shootout.