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Butler’s game-winner puts Elgin past Batavia

The final play Saturday evening didn’t go exactly the way it was drawn up.

But Isaiah Butler made it work, hitting a 5-foot baseline floater with 2 seconds remaining to give the Elgin boys basketball team a 59-57 victory over Batavia at Chesbrough Field House.

“That went wrong six ways to Sunday,” Elgin coach Mike Sitter said. “(Butler) can create on his own and that’s what he’s supposed to do if things break down. And that’s kind of what happened.”

The Bulldogs (6-11, 1-6 Upstate Eight River) trailed by as many 16 points in the first half and by 8 heading into the final quarter.

Elgin (6-11, 2-3) led by 5, 54-49, after Ryan Sitter hit a pair of free throws with 2:55 remaining. Micah Coffey’s 4-point play with 2:29 to go got the Bulldogs within 1, 54-53. Batavia’s Tucker Knox tied it at 57-57 with 32 seconds remaining with a basket in the paint.

The Maroons called a timeout with 17.4 seconds remaining. They got the ball in the senior Butler’s hands. He drove and lost control of the ball near the baseline. He was able to pick up the loose ball and head toward the basket and got the roll on the floater for the victory, which snapped a three-game losing streak for the Maroons.

“I feel like since I’m a leader I have to lead my team to a win,” Butler said. “We haven’t won in a long time and it feels good to finally win.”

Butler scored 11 of his 20 points in the first quarter as Elgin took advantage of 11 Batavia turnovers to take a 24-10 lead. The Bulldogs committed 6 more turnovers in the second quarter and trailed 39-25 at the break.

“We gave them (17) turnovers in the first half and, I think, 10 offensive boards that means (27) extra possesions,” Batavia coach Jim Nazos said. “You can’t win a lot of games doing that.”

The Bulldogs got back in the game with a 10-0 run to open the second half and chipped away at the deficit the rest of the way until tying the game before Butler’s winner.

Desmond Sanders and Lavion Baldwin each had 12 points for Elgin.

Danny Pieczynski led Batavia with 20 points, 13 in the second half, and 6 rebounds. Knox added 15 points and 6 rebounds. Coffey had 10 points.

Images: Elgin vs. Batavia boys basketball

  Elgin’s Isaiah Butler shoots past blocks by Batavia’s David Alonzo, left, and Micah Coffey in the second quarter on Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Batavia’s Ryan Olson hangs on tight to a rebound near Elgin’s Ryan Sitter in the second quarter on Saturday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
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