Aurora Christian runs by St. Francis in 2nd half
St. Francis and Aurora Christian's boys basketball teams are a study in contrasting styles.
Using speed limit parlance, St. Francis likes slow and steady city driving. Aurora Christian prefers life on the highway, revving the engine at 65 mph and up behind a fast-breaking offense.
Most of the first half of Friday's Suburban Christian Conference opener was played at St. Francis' more methodical pace, as the Spartans ground out a 19-14 lead. But the Eagles pushed the proverbial pedal to the metal from there.
The hosts sped up the tempo, powering past St. Francis to turn a 31-23 third quarter deficit into a 56-42 advantage before hanging on 62-56 for their fourth straight victory.
St. Francis (3-4, 0-1 SCC) bottled up Aurora Christian's offense early, using a smothering man-to-man defense to limit the Eagles to 14 points in the game's first 13 minutes. But Aurora Christian (4-1, 1-0) began pushing the pace more aggressively late in the first half, outscoring the Spartans 9-4 to tie the game at 23 at intermission.
The Spartans regained control to start the third quarter, jumping ahead 31-23 behind a pair of 3-pointers and a short jumper by senior forward Mike Shaw (game-high 23 points) before the Eagles extended their defense full court.
Aurora Christian scored 20 of the next 25 points over the last 5 minutes, 30 seconds of the third quarter with a large share of the spurt coming in transition. Several different players contributed, led by reserves Juwan Sisco (8 points, 4 rebounds in the quarter) and Jake Wolfe (5 points).
Sisco, a 6-3 senior center, tied the game at 35 on a lay-in off a pass from point guard Pat McNamara, and Wolfe, a freshman, put Aurora Christian in front for good 37-35 on a cut to the basket that he finished with a layup.
"We played the first half the way we have to play - value possessions, grind and defend," St. Francis coach Bob Ward said. "The longer the ball is in our hands the better for our defense. In the third quarter, we let them turn the game into a track meet. They got great shots in the second half. They were 14 for 18 shooting in the second half. They do a good job on offense of pushing the ball up the floor and getting the ball to players in good position to score."
Aurora Christian kept the pace to its liking into the fourth quarter, stretching its lead from 43-36 to 54-40 and 56-42 on back-to-back fast-break layups by Zach Singer and Jacolby Maxwell.
But then it was St. Francis' turn to rally. The Spartans turned up their defensive pressure and rediscovered their shooting touch, drawing within 59-56 on a steal and pullup jumper by Shaw with: 27 remaining.
St. Francis stole the ball on the ensuing possession but missed two shots in the lane that would have cut the deficit to a point, and Singer and Wes Wolfe buried 3 of 4 free throws to salt the game away.
"St. Francis played as hard as any team we've played in a long time," Aurora Christian coach Pat McNamara said. "They refused to quit, and we had to earn that win."
RD Lutze led a balanced Eagles attack with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks. Singer added 12 points and was the primary defender on St. Francis' Gabe Johnson, who scored 3 points three nights after posting a career-best 24 points against Wheaton Academy.
"Zach Singer is 6-foot-5 and about 140 pounds," McNamara joked, "but he's very hard to shoot over. He did a good job defending a very good shooter."
Aurora Christian hopes to notch its fifth straight victory Saturday against Indian Creek. The team's fast start has the Eagles dreaming of big aspirations this season.
"I think we can win out the season," said the junior guard McNamara. "We're a deep team with a lot of weapons. We just have to stay hungry and bring it every single day."
St. Francis will look to even its record at 4-4 when it faces North Lawndale at the Illinois Benedictine Shootout on Sunday.
"When our football kids get back into the flow, we'll be a lot better," Ward said. "This is a good group."