BC prepares for Sterling rematch

The nonconference game two weeks ago between the boys basketball teams from Burlington Central and Sterling came down to clutch makes in the final seconds by each team's star player.

Tonight's rematch in a Class 3A Freeport sectional semifinal could offer similar drama, according to Sterling coach Peter Goff.

"I think it's probably going to come down to a last shot again," Goff said. "Burlington Central probably holds the edge in experience, and they know how to make that big shot."

Central (22-6) defeated the Golden Warriors 46-44 in Burlington on Feb. 19.

Sterling junior Joseph Bertrand (6-foot-4), who is verbally committed to play for Illinois, sank a jump shot from the paint to tie that game with 8 seconds left. Bertrand averages 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds a game this season. He scored 13 points against the Rockets despite being hampered by the flu and early foul trouble.

However, Central prevailed when senior guard Mike McCurdy (24.6 ppg.) drove the length of the floor, sliced through the Golden Warrior defense and scored the game-winning layup at the buzzer.

It was yet another improbable victory for the us-against-the-world Rockets, a team that has played with a chip on its shoulder in a season-long campaign to earn respect following the sudden transfer of star guard Cully Payne to Schaumburg last August.

The Rockets and McCurdy earned another heaping hunk of respect by beating Oswego 70-65 for the Sycamore regional title last Friday, a game in which McCurdy scored 41 points.

The win marked quantitative progress over last season, when the Rockets lost in a regional final to Boylan on the same Sycamore court.

"I had some people tell me that's one of the best, if not the best, single-game performances ever by a Central kid, especially in a game like that," Burlington Central coach Chris Payne said of McCurdy's 41-point night. "He put us on his back and carried us through. It seemed like every time we needed a basket, he came down the court and came through for us. I just think right now he's playing on another level than everyone else."

McCurdy scored a game-best 16 points in the earlier meeting against Sterling, 9 below his average. Goff employed a triangle-and-two defense against McCurdy and senior Jason Wagner, a 3-point threat. Nevertheless, the Rockets drained their first 5 shots from 3-point range and 6 of their first 7 to jump to a big lead.

Sterling defender Devin Johnson, the Golden Warriors' best defensive player, hounded McCurdy throughout that game, a role he'll likely fill again tonight.

"He just has that tenacity," Goff said of Johnson. "He has the mentality that he doesn't want anybody to score on him. That's an unrealistic goal against McCurdy, but it's good to have a player on your team that thinks that way, someone who will do anything to keep their best player from scoring."

Said Payne: "Johnson is a good defender and was very physical with Michael. That's very similar to what he saw Friday. Oswego was really physical with him on the ball, too."

The winner advances to Friday's Freeport sectional final against Huntley (20-9), a 55-53 winner against Rockford Lutheran (16-11) in double overtime Tuesday.

Jacobs sectional:ŒElgin needs 3-point specialist Armani Williams to be in the zone to beat the zone.

Williams, a senior guard whose 103 3-pointers this season topped the school record of 101 he set as a sophomore, will figure prominently in tonight's Class 4A Jacobs boys basketball sectional semifinal between Elgin (19-9) and Hononegah (28-2).

The Indians, ranked No. 5 in the last Class 4A Associated Press poll, have used a variety of zone defenses to great effect for seven seasons under former Elgin coach Mike Miller, who coached the Maroons for one season in 2000-01.

In his lone campaign at Elgin, Miller won an Upstate Eight Conference title and a regional title with a team that finished 21-8.

Zone defense has carried Hononegah to three holiday tournaments this season -- Hoops for Healing at Thanksgiving, the State Farm Classic in Bloomington (where it beat De La Salle 52-42 for the title) and its own Martin Luther King tournament. To win the latter tournament the Indians defeated Upstate Eight champion Neuqua Valley, powerful Zion-Benton, Rock Island Alleman and Hoffman Estates.

"That's what has kind of become our identity here the last seven years at Hononegah," Miller said of playing zone. "We've been a ball-press team, so we'll go full-court zone back to a half-court zone, and it's been pretty effective for us."

In half court situations, Hononegah plays mostly 1-2-2 or 2-3 zone defenses, depending on how an opponent attacks. The best way to beat such zones is to shoot over them, something Williams can do as effectively as any player in the state of Illinois.

"I told Armani earlier in the week that he should be drooling at the prospects of this, and he's shot the ball really well the past few days (in practices)," Elgin coach Mike Sitter said. "But even in a zone I think they'll overplay to his side and try to take him out of it, so we have to find a way to get him open shots."

Hononegah junior guard/forward David Brown was named MVP of the NIC-10 Conference after averaging 21.2 points a game this season. He is no man on an island, however.

Brown is supported by a veteran cast, including third-year varsity guards Adam Curran (9.0 ppg.) and Nate Gillette (10). Junior point guard Danny Welsh (7 ppg.) and junior forward Dustin Meier (6) are also returning starters.

"There's no way we can shut down just one guy," Sitter said. "Brown does a real good job of playing team basketball early in the game. Then, when it's on the line, he'll try to take over. That's something we have to recognize: When he gets that bulldog attitude and tries to take it to the rim on consecutive possessions, we have to make sure we get one or two bodies between him and the basket."

Elgin has won 6 straight games and 13 of its last 15 with a combination of improved defense, tenacious rebounding from its big men and timely scoring from senior guards Jeremy Granger and Williams.

But there's little doubt Armani Williams is the wild card in tonight's matchup.

"Armani's a great player and a major concern for us because his strength is what can hurt us the most," Miller said. " Obviously, he can stretch you. We have to identify where he's at, try to find him and try to limit some of the shots he can get. We know that's easier said than done."

Is there a backup plan if the zone defense fails to keep Williams in check?

"We'll just yell, 'Miss it,' " Miller joked.

-- Jerry Fitzpatrick