Aurora Central rallies to give Fitzgerald 100th win
With a 3-23 record in his first year as Aurora Central Catholic coach, it hasn't always been easy for Mark Fitzgerald in his journey to 100 career wins.
Fittingly then, his Chargers didn't make that 100th win come easy Tuesday night in Aurora, spotting visiting IC Catholic Prep the first 13 points of the game.
Aurora Central Catholic missed its first 12 shots from the field and committed 5 turnovers in that stretch. The Chargers found their footing in the second and third quarters, outscoring Lady Knights by 19 to erase the early 13-0 hole on their way to a 49-41 win - the 100th in Fitzgerald's seven seasons as coach.
The ACC players dumped a Gatorade bucket filled with confetti on their coach following the win. Parents and players from Fitzgerald's first team returned to help celebrate.
"It's not a lot in the grand scheme of things but it is for me," Fitzgerald said. "I didn't know if I was going to get an opportunity (to be a varsity coach). I'm very grateful to Aurora Central Catholic for giving me this chance and sticking by me and these great kids and parents. I'm just thrilled to be a part of it."
Senior guard Gabi Alfaro, who led Aurora Central Catholic with 13 points, has played for Fitzgerald for four years. She was a freshman on the Chargers' team that made it downstate.
"Just to be able to do that for him after all he's done for us feels good," Alfaro said. "He's one of the best coaches I've ever had - softball, basketball, anything. He's always believed in us and it was nice to have his hard work and our hard work pay off."
IC Catholic Prep (12-10, 3-7 in the Metro Suburban Conference West) looked like it would play spoiler, opening the scoring with a 3-point basket from Tess Reardon, freshman Claire Gibler's bucket and a floater from Chiara Gaudio to force a Fitzgerald timeout down 7-0 with 6:21 left in the opening quarter.
The lead eventually grew to 13-0 before the Chargers finally dented the scoreboard on Alex Horton's drive at the 1:05 mark in the first quarter.
"Coach called us over and said, "Are you going to play or what?," Alfaro said. "We all stepped up our game, started creating turnovers and turnovers led to baskets."
A turning point came on the next possession after Gibler fouled Chargers center Taylor Harazin. The two were then whistled for a double foul, sending Gibler to the bench until midway through the third quarter. The Lady Knights led 15-2 when she left the game and trailed 25-24 when she returned.
"That hurt them," Fitzgerald said. "Tempers flare. It's nothing we did on purpose. Taylor is only a sophomore but she's not going to get pushed around and I know that kid (Gibler) is only a freshman. They are going to be seeing each other several more years. It's something you don't want to see. It certainly seemed to change the tide."
Kalie Soris began the Chargers' comeback with a 3-pointer to end the first quarter. Harazin went to work inside in the second quarter with 6 points, and a 3-point shot from Jordyn Sundberg and then Sundberg's assist to a cutting Veronica LaVia capped a 14-5 quarter that brought the Chargers within 20-19 at halftime.
Aurora Central (15-5, 5-3) took its fist lead of the game midway through the third quarter, then extended it to 35-26 heading to the fourth quarter when Alfaro and Alex Johnson made 3-pointers. Johnson's came from the corner just before the buzzer after the Chargers ran the final 50 seconds off the clock.
"I knew the clock was getting down," Johnson said. "I knew I was open. I was getting ready but in my mind I was going to drive. Then I got it and said I have to do it and I did it."
Gibler hit a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, the second bringing the Lady Knights within 37-34 with 3:30 remaining.
But Gibler picked up her fifth foul seven seconds later, and the Lady Knights never got closer than 4 points the rest of the way.
Anjella Farmer led IC Catholic Prep with 10 points, Gaudio scored 9 and Gibler 8.
"The same thing happened last time," IC Catholic Prep coach Aubree Schuett said of blowing a big lead to ACC in a 54-49 loss.
"I think we get almost complacent. Because we're young, but at this point of the season there's no excuse for that. You are not a freshman when you only have four regular season games left. The fact they were up by so many they took a little mental break and it cost us."
Harazin joined Alfaro in double figures with 12 points while adding 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots as the Chargers won the rebounding battle 39-25. They also held IC Catholic Prep to 9 of 34 shooting (26.4 percent) in the final three quarters after the Lady Knights shot 62.5 percent in the first.
"We're a good team in terms of that," Johnson said. "We never let down no matter how far we're down. We always keep going. We really pushed tonight."