Morton stands tall, eliminates York
Inevitably, Morton stretched York too thin.
Morton's 6-foot-8 Luke Scarlata and 6-5 Raul Guzman are taller than anyone York can field. Then comes 6-4 Oscar Macias on the wing.
It was a combination that on Friday led No. 4 seed Morton over No. 12 York 61-52 at the Class 4A York regional final in Elmhurst.
"It was hard for us to get to the basket against that size and length," York coach Al Biancalana said. "So we had to shoot a high percentage tonight to try to steal one and we just couldn't get it done."
The Dukes shot 18 of 48 overall, 6 of 20 from 3-point range.
It was somewhat ironic that after York (15-14) flustered Foreman on Wednesday with a zone defense, Morton coach Tony Martinucci adjusted to a 2-3 zone from a man defense. It worked.
York guard Tom Judge, who scored a game-high 21 points, and Steve Ogdon, who had 8, had some long-range success in a first half Morton (23-5) led just 29-28.
Starting late in the second quarter the Mustangs went zone and York shot 0 of 6 from the arc in the third quarter, 3 of 12 total. Morton made its move.
"Every shot they had to take was over somebody then," Martinucci said. "I thought that was the key more so than us chasing them around and they were hitting wide-open 3s. That was the key."
Morton led 39-34 going into the fourth, its size working against York's defense as well. Joe Belcaster scored 10 points himself while distributing the ball to Macias, Scarlata and Guzman, who had a respective 15, 11 and 12 points.
"We just kept our cool and kept playing our game," Belcaster said.
Morton went up 47-36 early in the fourth quarter, than held off a rally by Judge and 12-point scorer Will Sullivan to lead 59-49 with 25.7 seconds left.
"We were going to be coming off the off-guard and trap in the post, but Morton, they have such team chemistry," said York's Tom Roth, who guarded the 6-5, 280-pound Guzman. "They can kick the ball to the post, move it around, swing it around, hit that outside shot."
Morton moves to the semifinals of its own sectional against Whitney Young.
York will reflect on what guts can do in the absence of real height.
"It just shows how much we've overachieved and done what people thought we couldn't do," Judge said. "It just speaks volumes for everyone on our team, and all our seniors."
CLASS 4A YORK REGIONAL
Morton 61, York 52
York - Kahovec 1 0-0 2, Sullivan 5 1-2 12, Roth 2 0-1 4, Santiago 1 1-1 3, Judge 5 8-9 21, Ogdon 3 0-0 8, Fendley 1 0-0 2, Jackson 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 10-13 52.
Morton - Belcaster 2 6-7 10, Macias 7 0-0 15, Guzman 3 3-6 12, Eaton 1 0-1 2, Scarlata 4 3-4 11, Coleman 3 1-1 9, Stewart 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 13-19 61.
York 10 18 6 18 -52
Morton 11 18 10 22 -61
3-point baskets: Y: Judge 3, Ogdon 2, Sullivan. M: Guzman 3, Coleman 2, Macias. Fouled out: None.