East Aurora denies Kerkman 800th win

All the ingredients were in place for West Aurora legend Gordie Kerkman to become the fourth boys basketball coach in state history to reach 800 wins.

To make the possibility even more enticing, the Blackhawks were meeting their archrival of more than a century for the 219th time in the schools' glorious combined history of multiple state appearances.

But East Aurora had no intention of allowing Kerkman to reach the milestone on its home court.

Taking command early behind brilliant perimeter shooting and frustrating the Blackhawks throughout the game, East Aurora stunned the Blackhawks, 70-67, in an Upstate Eight Valley game Saturday night.

"Our record may not show it, but we're just as good as any team out there," said East Aurora guard Anthony Peters, who led both teams with 23 points.

Peters and Adrian Smith hit consecutive 3-pointers for the Tomcats to break the final tie of the game, 43-43, midway through the third quarter.

"They are vastly improved, probably more so than us," Kerkman said of the Tomcats, who snapped a nine-game league losing streak on Friday night against Bartlett.

Peters scored 13 of his game-high total in the third quarter, which began with West Aurora nursing a 31-30 lead at the break.

"The ball was in my hand at the right time," Peters said.

The game would take on a peculiar feel - as it has often done over the years - over the course of the last eight-plus minutes.

West Aurora entered the last quarter trailing by 6 points but forced the Tomcats to turn the ball over four straight times to begin the fourth.

But the Blackhawks could only score a single point during the exchange as turnovers and missed free throws spelled major difficulties.

"(The misses at the line) could have been the ballgame," Kerkman said.

Roland Griffin, the Blackhawks' Illinois State-bound forward who led four West Aurora players in double figures with 19 points, had a steal and breakaway dunk to close the gap to a one-possession game with two minutes and 19 seconds to play.

But East Aurora scored on consecutive possessions to restore its 6-point spread.

The Tomcats appeared to salt the game away with a last-second dunk, only to have a hanging-on-the-rim technical foul ensue.

Marquis Howard converted both free throws, and Griffin had the last of his points on a putback.

But the Blackhawks were cited for calling a timeout not in their possession, allowing East Aurora to put an end to the game.

"It's the way we lost the game," Griffin said. "We were coming off the great win against Neuqua (Valley on Friday night). Complacency set in, I guess."

West Aurora trails Neuqua Valley by two games with as many to play in the conference.

Howard finished with 12 points.

Tommy Koth and Camron Donatlan had 11 apiece; fifth starter Matt Dunn missed double figures by a point for West Aurora.

Kerkman will have his next chance to match the feats of Gene Pingatore, Steve Goers and Dick Van Syock on Friday at South Elgin.