Batavia turns tables on Geneva
From the black Bulldog uniforms to the introductions to the free-throw line to the most important thing - the outcome - Wednesday was a night of role reversal at Batavia.
It was like a Twilight Zone episode at The Home of the Battling Bulldogs to hear them be introduced first, and the lights not being turned out for the introductions. Geneva earned the right to be the home team with the better regular season and No. 8 seed to Batavia's No. 9.
The role reversal continued once the game started, especially in the second half. Watching Geneva hoist 3s while David Bryant broke down the Vikings' defense to find Levi Maxey for a layup, it was like everything went backwards from the way the teams' first two games - and much of their regular seasons - played out.
"They did to us in that fourth quarter what we have been doing to a lot of other teams all year long," said Geneva coach Phil Ralston.
Same with the free-throw line. After going to the line just once in their 40-38 loss in the last meeting, Batavia got there 25 times Wednesday. Most of it came by being aggressive and driving to the basket, though their first 8 attempts came a combined 60 feet away from the basket with fouls on two Ben Potter 3s and a long Bryant jumper.
"That was what we were talking about after last game is taking the ball to the hoop more," Potter said. "Even if we don't make (our shots), we can get fouled and get to the line.
"It seemed like after I hit one (3-pointer) they jumped out at me really, really fast so they were jumping at me so hard they clipped me. We knocked them down, it worked for us."
When was the last time you heard the Bulldog student section chant "Milk the clock?", which Bryant did as only he can, by dribbling off a few seconds and then launching a long 3-pointer - about the same spot he missed a potential game-winner in the last meeting at Geneva.
Of course, on this night, it hit nothing but net.
"It feels really good to get them in the playoffs," Potter said. "We knew it would be a tough game, we knew they would come at us with everything they had. They were a great team this year, you have to give them a lot of credit, but it feels great to get them in the playoffs."
Seeing Batavia in black uniforms on their home court brought back memories of another postseason surprise in 2004 when the seventh-seeded Bulldogs upset No. 2 East Aurora 76-73 to win a regional title.
Do the Bulldogs have another surprise in them Friday night? No. 17 seed Benet had sectional favorite Neuqua Valley on the ropes Tuesday, which either proves the Wildcats are beatable, or it will serve as a wake-up call.
That's two years in a row Benet has nearly stunned a No. 1 seed in a regional opener. Last year Phil Albrecht's 3-pointer at the buzzer helped Batavia avoid the upset.
"They (Neuqua Valley) are a great team, a lot of size, a lot of length," Potter said. "It will be a real tough game for us but we are going to do our best."
jlemon@dailyherald.com