Rogers comes through for West Aurora in Pontiac consolation final
PONTIAC - Moshe Rogers is destined to play football at the next level.
But the West Aurora senior continues the trend of exceptional three-sport athletes at the school.
Saturday afternoon at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, Rogers had perhaps the two most important field goals of his boys basketball career.
Basketball junkies refer to it as "money time." Rogers made Danville pay in the consolation final.
Rogers drained a 3-pointer at a critical juncture and then added a layup to give West Aurora the lead for good against Danville in a 70-64 victory.
Rogers' lay-in off a back cut with 47 seconds to play gave the Blackhawks a 64-62 lead in a tense battle with the Vikings.
The West Aurora lead was soon doubled when Hezzy Salter snatched a loose ball at the timeline and threw down a vicious two-handed dunk to double the lead.
Rogers had the last of his 10 points with two free throws to cement the victory.
"I don't think I have hit a 3 the whole year," Rogers said of his all-net jumper that erased the last Danville lead with two minutes, 42 seconds to play. "I have been forcing it a lot. I got a great pass from Trae (Brown on the go-ahead layup)."
"Seniors step up in big moments," West Aurora coach Brian Johnson said of Rogers' instrumental contributions down the stretch.
Johnson can only hope his squad follows the script from a year ago.
West Aurora did not lose another game in advancing to the Class 4A Illinois State University supersectional after returning from the famed tournament a season ago.
Salter followed Rogers' go-ahead basket with a telling score with his no-doubt throw down with 33 seconds to play.
"I feel pretty comfortable finishing above the rim," said Salter, who finished with 17 points. "(The Danville guard) lost the ball into my hands."
The Blackhawks (12-3) had plenty of other players come to the forefront against Danville (13-2).
Marquise Walker had a team-high 19 points from his off-guard position.
Walker's running mate, Brown, was masterful in the opening half, hitting all 6 of his field-goal attempts, including three from beyond the arc, to score 15 points in the opening two quarters.
"For statement victories this would be a big one," Johnson said. "We were able to capitalize on a lot of selflessness in our two games today."
Rogers would have never have had the limelight in the consolation final had Kelvin Balfour not drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Blackhawks a 53-50 victory over Warren in their morning consolation semifinal.
"It was not designed for a specific player," Balfour said of his game-winning shot. "(Walker) trusted me with the ball, and I just knocked it down. I had an open look."