Special senior class finishes Geneva career
Even the best golfers have days that 4-foot putts don't drop and 100-yard approaches find the sand.
It was that kind of night - especially in the second half - for Geneva on Tuesday against Rockford East at the Class 4A Northern Illinois University supersectional.
After making 56.5 percent of their shots in the first half, the Vikings dropped to 35 percent in the second half with numerous misses from normally point-blank range. A 14-point lead in the second quarter slipped away in a 70-62 loss.
And if anyone can appreciate a golf analogy, it's senior point guard Jack McDonald, who also happens to be a 4-time state qualifier on the links. While he dazzled as ever with 11 assists, including a signature heads-up batting of the ball to Josh Preston for a 3-pointer to end the first quarter, only 2 of his 16 field goal attempts dropped.
"Their pressure, their length, made it really hard to get in the lane," McDonald said. "Credit to them on that. It was tough. I just tried to stay strong."
Geneva coach Scott Hennig said there's a good reason Rockford East is 34-2, and the Vikings saw it first hand when the E-Rabs rallied from a 31-17 second quarter deficit.
"Our execution, we were able to run our stuff, we missed some easy baskets," Hennig said. "I can go down with that. We're not going to make every shot. Sometimes when you play at such a high level as we have all year, sometimes shots don't go in. It happens."
The loss ends not only the winningest season for Geneva at 32-2, it ends the career for Geneva's seniors including 3-year starters McDonald and Mitch Mascari.
The duo were in the middle of two of the best seasons in the Vikings' history as sophomores and seniors. They flashed more of what they have done the last three years Tuesday.
Mascari led Geneva with 21 points, making 8 of 14 shots including three 3s. All of those 3-pointers came in the first half including some of his trademark bombs from well beyond the arc.
Rockford East clamped down in the second half, and the E-Rabs also made life difficult for McDonald when he drove.
Garth, Ben Johlie and Garrett Sneed are more seniors Hennig will miss. The coach has always praised his seniors for their work off the court and the classroom too, which made the ending that much more difficult.
"It's tough because in the offseason when you work for this you don't think about losing," Mascari said.
After going 28-3 as sophomores and 18-13 last year, their school-record 32 wins brings the duo's 3-year total to 78-18.
That's much more like hitting a 300-yard drive or sinking a 25-footer.
Hennig even joked about having a point guard also so good on the links.
"He's got to teach me one day," Hennig said. "That's part of our agreement."
And all the Geneva fans, and anyone who appreciates well-coached basketball played by a bunch of hardworking players, can agree to remember this Geneva team for all those highlights.
"We are all really close and it's not even just on the basketball court," Garth said. "We're all really good friends. We had a really good season. We broke some school records. And we were one game from state. I had a lot of fun and I couldn't ask for more."