advertisement

Aurora Christian ousts Timothy Christian

They weren't plays that showed up in the box score, yet they didn't go unnoticed or unappreciated by Aurora Christian coach Pat McNamara.

No. 7 seed Timothy Christian had turned an 8-point deficit into a 1-point lead over top seed Aurora Christian late in the third quarter, and Tanner Dissell had just committed a turnover during the Trojans' run.

The junior didn't hang his head. He took a charge on the defensive end, then set a screen that freed RD Lutze in the corner for a 3-point basket that just beat the third-quarter buzzer.

Lutze's shot gave the Eagles a 34-30 lead in a game they eventually won 48-42 to advance to the Class 2A Aurora Christian regional championship game.

Lutze went on to hit five 3s and tied Jake Wolfe with a game-high 18 points, but the first thing McNamara mentioned to his team were Dissell's heads-up plays.

​"Tanner, they were little plays but it was a big sequence for us," McNamara said. "I told our guys that's playoff basketball."​

No. 1 seed Aurora Christian (23-5) will play IC Catholic Prep - who has ended AC's season the past 2 years - for the regional championship at 7 p.m. Friday. The Eagles didn't trail again after the surge to end the third quarter.

Lutze again came up big in the fourth, nailing back-to-back 3s to turn a 37-35 lead into 43-35 with 3:18 to go.

"If I'm open I'll put it up," Lutze said. "That's what shooters do."

Seventh-seed Timothy Christian (11-17) nearly played spoiler. The Trojans used eight 3-pointers to stay close while only attempting 1 free throw in the game, that coming with 44.1 seconds left.

"We battled, we were right there," Trojans coach Jack Legrand said. "Some key possessions there we didn't execute when we needed to execute. We weren't super sharp tonight."

The Eagles didn't commit their first foul of the second half until 1:14 remained when they actually started trying to foul with so many fouls to give.​"Usually we're hacking them up," joked McNamara.

Neither team got much going in the first half, the Eagles leading 12-11 after one quarter and 21-16 at halftime. The Trojans switched between a 3-2 zone and man-to-man, and the zone seemed to take away the Eagles' strength.

"That zone we don't see much," Wolfe said. "It's a pretty awkward zone I think. It takes away the outside shot we were used to. And they were really long up front."

Trailing 27-19 in the third quarter, Mitch Evenhouse started and ended an 11-2 run with 3-pointers for a 30-29 lead.

Pat McNamara put the Eagles back in front with a drive, and their next 9 points came on 3s from Wolfe and Lutze.

"Obviously we weren't supposed to lose him a couple times," Legrand said. "That's kids being kids. That hurt us."

Jeremiah Wright added 8 points. Wolfe and Lutze combined for 15 rebounds as the Eagles won that battle 28-20.

Evenhouse led the Trojans with 17 points. Joey Davidson added 11.

​"Very proud of the guys," Legrand said. "They have worked hard to improve. We had some ups and downs this year and it's something we can build on for the future."

Images: Aurora Christian over Timothy Christian, 48-42 in regional boys basketball

  Timothy Christian's Jared Rhiner (30) and Josh Caver (behind) scramble for the ball with Aurora Christian's Andrew Behrens (far right) in the first quarter of the Class 2A regional semifinal in Aurora Wednesday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Aurora Christian's Jake Wolfe (3) shoots against Timothy Christian's Jared Rhiner (30) in the first quarter of the Class 2A regional semifinal in Aurora Wednesday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Timothy Christian's Mitch Evenhouse races to the hoop in the fourth quarter vs. Aurora Christian in the Class 2A regional semifinal in Aurora Wednesday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Timothy Christian's Jared Rhiner (left) wrestles with Aurora Christian's Tanner Dissell for a rebound in the third quarter of the Class 2A regional semifinal in Aurora Wednesday. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.