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Once again Geneva finds a way to stay alive

​A lot has happened in the 52 years since Geneva last went to state in boys basketball, so it was probably fitting everything it took for the Vikings to pull out a Class 4A Northern Illinois supersectional thriller Tuesday night in DeKalb.

It was like several snapshots of basketball moments from the past five decades.

Some deliberate four corners offense ala Dean Smith? Check.

A timeout that invokes memories of Chris Webber? Got it.

A buzzer-beating 3-pointer worthy of Bryce Drew? Yep, you bet.

Wow. What a game. What a way to advance to the Class 4A Final Four Friday in Peoria, where Geneva will play Normal Community - and not Simeon - at 8:15 p.m. with a spot in Saturday's state championship game on the line.

It probably would be easier to write about what didn't happen in Geneva's 57-52 double overtime victory over Lake Park than what did.

Nothing was more dramatic than the 3-pointer Lake Park's Marcus McDaniel made at the buzzer in the first overtime after the Lancers inbounded with just .5 seconds left.

Geneva was in full Peoria celebration mode one second, trying to regroup with its season on the line in the second OT the next.

"That was like a sucker punch to the gut to feel you had the game won and the kid hit a great shot," Geneva coach Phil Ralston said. "Our kids kept their composure. They didn't get down on it. They continued to fight, fight, fight."

Nate Navigato, as he has done down the stretch throughout the postseason, put Geneva ahead to stay with a 3-point play with 1:41 remaining. Geneva outscored Lake Park 12-7 in the second overtime to finally shake the gritty Lancers.

"Being a senior I needed to be aggressive," said Navigato, who scored a game-high 16 points. "In the second overtime I needed to take the ball to the rim and be confident.

"Once he (McDaniel) hit the shot I think the whole team had to mentally prepare for the next overtime. It was an incredible shot, props to him. We knew coming into that next quarter there was no way we were going to lose this game. I had full confidence in all my teammates. Our whole coaching staff did awesome."

For most of the first 31 minutes the story looked like it would be the Vikings staging yet another second-half rally. They were behind in each of their last four postseason wins - St. Charles East, Rockford Jefferson, Rockford Auburn and now Lake Park - and won each time.

"It's nothing but heart," Geneva senior guard Pace Temple said.

After winning up-tempo games the previous three, Geneva was able to grind out a game against a Lake Park team that played exactly like the Phil Ralston Geneva teams we've been watching.

"In a game like this it's hard to come off playing all these teams that get it and go and all of a sudden you are playing a very patient team on offense and defense," Temple said.

"It couldn't be more polar opposite. I think our teammates, our coaches did a great job even if we didn't seem on in the first half of taking the second half and really improving our play."

All kinds of crazy broke loose in the final minute of regulation and overtime.

Geneva had the ball and a 1-point lead in the closing seconds of regulation but turned it over. After Lake Park tied the game with a free throw the Vikings were called for a charge and survived McDaniel's missed 30-footer at the buzzer that would have won the game.

The real mayhem came in the first overtime, Lake Park again stealing the ball from Geneva down by a point in the closing seconds.

The Lancers called timeout - only they didn't have any remaining. That technical foul, called on the bench and not a player like when Webber did it for Michigan, sent Navigato to the line where he split. Navigato then split again with 7 seconds go to - those two misses keeping it a one-possession game and keeping Lake Park alive for McDaniel's miracle 3.

"You are half a second away from winning, of going to state and he hit that shot," Temple said. "Incredible shot. But we got back to the bench and we were like 'Of course it went in.' The way this game was going it had to go in. We were able to focus, relax and really dictate the pace of the second overtime. We really handled our business. That's credit to coach, to Nate and everybody on that squad to calm down and finish the game."

The win improved Geneva to 30-3, tying the 1963 squad for most wins in school history.

In the past 10 years having covered the Geneva football team getting to state and the girls basketball program going to state twice, this accomplishment doesn't take a back seat to anyone.

It's probably like picking your favorite kid - can't do it - but what the boys basketball team did by getting to state is something else.

"I know a lot of people who have played in the program and it's such a great program to be part of," said senior Daniel Santacaterina, who nailed a key 3 when Lake Park held its biggest lead. "It's a privilege to call yourself a Viking and to know you are one of the best of the Geneva basketball teams. That makes us really proud to be part of this town and this school."

That old saying about anything good being worth the wait?

Seeing Geneva get back to state - and how the Vikings did it Tuesday - was worth the wait. All 52 years.

"Seven years ago when I interviewed for the job I really felt like Geneva would be the place," Ralston said. "That was one of the reasons I wanted to come here. I saw their success in a lot of their sports programs. To me this town felt like home. I really felt this was a place where we could build something that it is today.

"And it starts with these guys. They have bought in since they were going to our camps in our feeder program. It's not like this just happened this past 12 months. This has been a seven-year process. I can't express enough the gratitude I have for these guys the faith and trust they put into the coaching staff.

"It's just amazing."

jlemon@dailyherald.com

Images: Geneva advances to state with a 2OT victory, 57-52 over Lake Park

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