Not to be for St. Viator
It was a night St. Viator would just like to forget.
The Lions were victimized by a hot-shooting DePaul Prep team Friday at the Class 3A boys basketball sectional final at Grayslake Central and fell to the Rams 62-53 before a packed house.
With the win, DePaul Prep (25-9) advances to the Class 3A Final Four in Peoria next weekend after Friday's North Lawndale sectional final was ruled a double-forfeit by the IHSA (see related story).
St. Viator coach Quin Hayes said he was proud of how his team tried to get back into the game after falling behind in the second quarter.
“In the game of basketball, sometimes the bounces just don't go your way,” said Hayes, whose team finished the season with a record of 26-7.
“We got back there close in the second half. We had a heck of second half to get back into the game. We were an inch or two away from getting a steal. It just didn't go our way tonight.”
De Paul Prep, formerly Gordon Tech, came into the game highly touted in 3A. The Rams showed why they received all those accolades by converting 53 percent (19-of-36) from the field including 41 percent (7-of-17) from outside the arc.
The Rams have four talented guards, all of whom were in double figures. That included Perry Cowan, who is headed to Brown next year.
DePaul scored 10 unanswered points in the second quarter to open up a 25-15 lead. During that span, the Rams knocked down 4 consecutive shots, including a pair of 3-pointers.
“We weren't getting back,” Hayes said. “They created that lead and it was difficult to get back.”
St. Viator trailed 40-25 when the Lions made their move. Led by their superstar guards Trey Calvin (Wright State) and Jeremiah Hernandez (Kent State), the Lions chipped away at the lead.
They Lions got it down to 43-38, but DePaul appeared to pull away thanks to Cowan (21 points), who hit 4 shots in a row, including a 3 as the lead bulged to 52-42 with 3:18 to play.
“Perry made some really tough shots in the second half,” Hayes said. “It kept the lead for them. And Raheem (Anthony) did a nice job of controlling the basketball. That hurt us.”
This was also a Viator team that was highly touted in 3A as well. And it was the Lions' turn to show why.
Forcing turnovers, Viator was able to pull to within 54-51 on 3 free throws by Calvin with 41.3 seconds to play. But that was as close as the Lions would get as DePaul would convert 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch including 4 by Elk Grove native Pavle Pantovic.
“I couldn't pick a better group of guys to end my high school career with,” said Hernandez, who finished with 18 points. “I'm not sad about the loss, I am just sad it is over. I don't get to put that jersey on again for the best fans in the state.”
Calvin said that the shooting was the difference in the game. The Lions converted 43 percent (20-of-47).
“We couldn't hit anything early and they were hitting in the first half and that gave them a big lead,” said Calvin, who led the Lions with 18 points.
“We fought back. I am proud of that and I loved playing with all these guys. I am going to miss them”
Connor Kochera, who is a junior, said that it was a difficult way to go out.
“They were hitting tough shots and we were doing our best to contest them,” said Kochera, who finished with 9 points.
“It was definitely disappointing. I couldn't be happier with our team and we developed a great bond together. We are going to bounce back. I am going to remember this feeling and come back stronger.”
It was a tough end to another successful season for St. Viator. This was the second time in three years the Lions were regional champions. They lost in a Class 3A supersectional game two years ago and in a Class 4A regional final last year.
“This, in my mind, probably is one of the top two talented teams ever to walk through St. Viator,” Hayes said. “If not the best team to walk through St. Viator. Jerry and Trey are definitely the top two players to walk through St. Viator.”