Neuqua Valley feels the pressure
Playing for the school's first trip to the state boys basketball tournament was plenty pressure for Neuqua Valley.
Facing Richards didn't help the matter any.
The Bulldogs' defense -- quick, physical, constant -- forced Neuqua Valley into 23 turnovers in Richards' 63-42 win at Tuesday's Class 4A Chicago State supersectional.
Neuqua coach Todd Sutton's biggest fear played itself out in spades.
"Their pressure drove us nuts," Sutton said, "and we couldn't run a thing tonight. We pride ourselves in running a very good offense and really good sets. We couldn't run a thing tonight. Totally to Richards' credit."
Turnovers were the catalyst in Richards' two big runs.
The Bulldogs went on a 6-0 run in the second quarter to go ahead 25-16, Indiana State recruit Carl Richard scoring on a tip dunk off a turnover and then throwing down a breakaway jam after a steal.
With the margin at 38-31 in the third quarter, Richards went on a back-breaking 11-0 run leading into the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Neuqua Valley had back-to-back turnovers in the final minute of the third leading to Richards' scores. A steal and score by Bulldogs' point guard Eliud Gonzalez made it 49-31 with 7:07 left.
"We pressure teams, and we run," Richard said. "We feel like we can pressure anybody."
Bulldogs coach John Chappetto anticipated quickness would be his team's advantage against Neuqua.
After all, Richards boasts a Division I basketball recruit in Richard; an elite football recruit in Purdue signee Tommie Thomas, a guard on the basketball team; and a potential Division I basketball recruit in 6-7 junior center Shaun Pratl.
And that doesn't include Gonzalez, the Bulldogs' sparkplug that had 3 of the team's 10 steals.
"That's who we are. We try to get after it," Chappetto said. "My whole coaching style is aggressive and getting after people. I can live with us playing hard and losing. I cannot live with us not playing hard."
No Neuqua opponent prior to Tuesday could compare to Richards physically.
Sutton said East Aurora had the quickness and brought the pressure -- but the Tomcats could not compare in size.
"The atmosphere was hectic, the (college) court was longer than what we usually play on and the team was just a lot better," said Neuqua guard Nolan Brown. "They're a physical, strong team. They were getting up into you. Just a great defensive team."
Neuqua, for its part, forced Richards into 10 turnovers in the first half. A steal and score by Dwayne Evans, and a layup by Brad Keeler off a steal by Steve Waeghe pulled the Wildcats within 25-24 with 39 seconds left in the half.
Brown had 3 steals in the first half.
But Richards' continual harassment defensively did eventually wear down Neuqua. Three of the Wildcats' turnovers came on five-second calls.
"Sometimes when you get to a certain point the pressure overtakes everything," Sutton said, "and you just cannot think. You cannot remember plays, you cannot remember the simple things like setting a screen to get your wing open so the wing can make a catch. Then the point guard is stuck out there by themselves.
"Pressure does that."