Kaneland's comeback falls just short
Kaneland is showing progress. Now the Knights want results.
Entering Friday with a 1-7 record, Kaneland rallied from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie DeKalb. The Knights couldn't quite complete the comeback, making a pair of costly turnovers in the final minute and watching a last-second 3-pointer come up short in a 60-57 loss.
When sophomore Trenton Kyler buried a half-court shot to end the third quarter and give DeKalb a 55-43 lead, things looked bleak for Kaneland (1-8, 0-2 in the Northern Illinois Big XII).
But the Knights battled back, tying the game at 57 when Brett David made all three free throws after being fouled behind the arc with 1:13 left.
"They responded really well," Kaneland coach Russ Zick said. "Defensively we've been on an upward path to get better and I thought they made major steps today. That pleases me. Now it's time we start winning these close games."
DeKalb (4-5, 2-0) led most of the way including 25-21 after a fast-paced first quarter. Kyler scored 13 of his points in the opening quarter and had 16 by halftime. But the Knights stayed within 35-33 by sinking nine 3-pointers in the first half; the Barbs were even hotter hitting 15 of their 21 field goal attempts.
A key turning point came late in the third quarter. After Wyatt Peeler made a 3-pointer for Kaneland to tie the game at 41 and following a Bryce Ebert bucket that drew the Knights within 45-43, DeKalb ended the quarter on a 10-0 run including 8 points in the final 30 seconds.
Kyler scored 8 of those 10 points, starting with a floater and then a 3. Kaneland tried holding for the last shot but a steal and layup from Trenton Williams made it 52-43. The Knights again turned the ball over, and DeKalb quickly threw ahead to Kyler at half court who launched a shot just before the buzzer went off.
"They got 2 points, 3 points back-to-back, that's a killer," David said. "You have to start quarters fast and finish quarters fast. That's why we lost."
After their 14-2 run in the fourth quarter to pull even at 57, Kaneland got the ball back twice in the final minute with a chance to go ahead only to turn it over both times. On the second occasion, Isaiah Youngquist took the ball the other way and made a layup while being fouled for a 3-point play and 60-57 lead with 17 seconds left.
"Their quickness hurt us and their double teams hurt us," Zick said.
With one last chance to tie the game, the Knights were working for a shot when one of their players called timeout with 2.9 seconds left thinking the play wasn't going to work - only to see Will Cushman swish what would have been his fifth 3 just after the timeout.
Zick set up a new play and the Knights were able to find David open off a back screen flare, but David's rushed shot was off the mark.
"He didn't like the way the play was going," Zick said of the timeout. "We were struggling a little but they really were where they were supposed to be and things were evolving and I was comfortable that was the best (shot we could get). It's fine. We had a different play we went to and it worked just fine. He took a good shot at the end."
David paced the Knights with 19 points, Cushman scored 12, Peeler 10 and Ebert 8.
Kaneland returns to action Tuesday at 6-2 Wheaton Academy hoping to build from Friday's close call.
"We struggled early on (this year), we're kind of a newer team, new coach, all of that," David said. "But this was a good game. Even though we lost we can learn from it."