West Aurora completes perfect Upstate Eight Valley run
Jared Crutcher continues to be the difference in maintaining the perfect West Aurora record since the calendar year changed.
In the Upstate Eight Valley Friday night against the Blackhawks' archrival East Aurora, Crutcher scored his team-best 18 points in bunches to propel the latest West Aurora victory at home.
Converting four inside scores in the opening quarter and duplicating the feat in two separate flourishes in the third quarter, Crutcher paced the Blackhawks' 60-41 win over the Tomcats.
In the schools' 225th boys basketball meeting since February 1913, West Aurora holds a 137-88 advantage in the series.
It was a fitting way for Crutcher to end the regular season as the senior has been a dominant force - from registering a triple-double against Oswego to patrolling the paint at both ends with unrelenting desire - since the Blackhawks' last loss - to Bloomington in the fifth-place semifinals on Dec. 30 at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament.
In completing a perfect 10-0 run in defending its divisional title, West Aurora (21-4) has won 13 consecutive games.
The Tomcats, who were paced by a game-high 19 points from Jules Williamson, finished the regular season at 5-22, 2-8.
"Our coaches tell us to keep each other accountable," said Crutcher, who also had 7 rebounds, 5 blocked shots and 4 steals. "At the end of the day, we're trying to rack up wins and go downstate. Not losing in 2018 is really our plan."
The West Aurora offense stagnated when Camron Donatlan went to the pines after picking up his second foul.
Donatlan, who will forge a dual career in football and track next season at Wyoming, scored 10 of his 12 points before sitting out the last five-plus minutes of the second quarter.
"That happens," West Aurora coach Brian Johnson said of the Tomcats' trimming two 13-point first-half deficits to 7 points at halftime. " (Donatlan) is our leading scorer. He's a dynamic scorer."
But when Crutcher opened the third quarter with a layup off a set play and another easy conversion in transition, East Aurora never came closer than its 30-23 halftime deficit.
"That's what (Crutcher) does," Johnson said. "Guys find him in a good spot. He did a great job of finishing at the hoop."
Donatlan had a steal and breakaway dunk to end the third quarte in which the two-time defending high jump state champion was essentially eye-level with the rim at his apex to give West Aurora a 46-30 lead entering the fourth quarter.
"It kind of hurt a little bit," Donatlan said of the aftermath of the dunk. "It was a stinger for me. We got our confidence up (after Pontiac) and everybody is playing big roles. We are all seniors playing big roles."
Damian Virgen had two 3-pointers in scoring 14 points for the Blackhawks; junior point guard Traevon Brown had two 3-point plays to frame his 8 points.
Williamson had four 3-pointers in leading the Tomcats.
"People were getting frustrated," Williamson said. "I took it upon myself to try and make it a close game."