Timothy Christian defeats Wheaton Academy a third time
With basketball teams of this caliber, it's really tough for one to beat the other three times in the same season.
The boys from Timothy Christian pulled it off.
The Trojans weathered Wheaton Academy's comeback from an 18-point deficit to win 61-53 Tuesday at the Class 2A Genoa-Kingston sectional semifinal, improving to 3-0 this season over their Metro Suburban Red rival.
Most importantly, Timothy Christian (26-5) advanced to Friday's sectional semifinal against Wednesday's winner between Rockford Lutheran and Northridge Prep.
"That's so hard to do," Timothy Christian point guard Matt Owens said of executing the trifecta.
"That's all we've been talking about this week, the stereotype that it's hard to beat a team three times," said Owens, who led the Trojans with 18 points, 4 steals and 7 assists, several of them the no-look variety. "But I think we kind of learned from the things we did well and not well the last two games. We prepared for those and we hit it hard in practice."
Something Timothy can work on is free-throw shooting. Wheaton Academy (22-11) took advantage of the Trojans' 10-of-23 fourth-quarter foul shooting to pull within 5 points in the last minute after trailing 45-27 after three quarters.
"That's what I'm most proud of the guys for, we were down 18 and the guys just kept fighting, never gave up," said Warriors coach Steve Thonn.
"I thought our effort was probably the best it's been all year trying to fight back and get back in the game. And we did - not only get back in the game but if a couple things maybe go our way, have a shot to maybe win the game."
On free throws by Marcus Bult, Max Scharnowski and J.D. Rienow, Wheaton Academy crept within 54-45 with 1:06 left. Bult, who scored 16 fourth-quarter points, swished a 3 from the left wing and another from the left baseline to trim the Trojans' lead to 56-51 with 34 seconds to play.
"My teammates did a good job finding me open," the senior said. "I hit open shots. I just wish we could have done it all through the game. It's good to cut it to a close game but fell short at the end."
As the crowd got to their feet, Timothy Christian's Ben VanderWal was fouled and made two free throws. He grabbed his 12th rebound, got fouled and made another for a 59-51 Trojans lead with 18.8 seconds left.
Bult, who pulled down 10 boards, made two more free throws get within 6 with 14.6 seconds left, but Timothy's Zach Orange and Josh Harris finally sealed it from the line.
"When he got hot we still had something to build off of," Owens said.
Until Bult and Scharnowski rallied to finish with 25 and 15 points, respectively, Timothy Christian owned the early action. The Trojans - VanderWal, Harris, Orange and A.J. Vos all scoring between 13 and 9 points - didn't allow more than 10 points in any one quarter.
"I think it's trying to just to do what we do well, handling our own business," said Timothy Christian coach Scott Plaisier. "We know going into every one of their games that Marcus (Bult) is a huge key and for I'd say three and a half quarters we did a really, really good job on him, and he was trying to will his team to victory there at the end, and trying to do whatever they could to get back in it."