DANVILLE — Schlarman Academy boys basketball coach Zack Patterson knew something needed to change in the fourth quarter.
His Hilltoppers were facing an 8-point deficit (38-30) in the IHSA Class 1A regional championship game against the LaSalette Academy Lions.
Patterson turned to a full-court diamond-and-1 press.
“Twenty-one years ago when I played in high school (at Oakwood) the diamond press was the niche,” Patterson said.
LaSalette had problems with the press and Schlarman erased the deficit and forced overtime. In the extra session, Jerrius Atkinson hit a couple of baskets, Noah Fowler hit a big 3-pointers and the duo of Peyton Kuemmerle and Miles Crosby sank 7-of-10 free throws to lead the Hilltoppers to a 61-52 victory.
The regional championship is the first for Schlarman since 2003 when Gene Gourley was coaching.
“All of the credit goes to these kids,” Patterson said. “These last 48 hours, they have heard all about how it has been 22 years since Schlarman had won a regional title and it put some pressure on them. But, when they got down, they didn’t stay down. They fought back, got the momentum going our way in the fourth quarter and we just rode it in overtime.”
Atkinson, a junior, was huge in the fourth quarter for the Hilltoppers (17-10). The 6-foot-2 guard scored 13 of his team’s 17 fourth-quarter points.
“Jerrius was just phenomenal,” Patterson said. “There were times it seemed like he was 1-on-5 against the LaSalette defense. He’s just so quick and powerful, he was able to get going and they couldn’t stop him.”
So, why did Patterson decide to go with the diamond-and-1 press in the fourth quarter.
“My mentor, coach John Spezia, coached at LaSalette for six years, and he helped me with a game plan,” Patterson said. “He reminded me that LaSalette is know for their rugby team and most of their basketball players are also on the rugby team. They are great athletes, but they are not quite as skilled on the basketball court. So, putting pressure on them defensively was the plan.”
The Lions, who were seeking their first-ever regional title, built their 8-point lead after three quarters behind Elijah Hall, who scored 13 of his team-high 19 points in the first three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, LaSalette not only had trouble breaking the Schlarman press but the Lions were also just 7-of-14 at the free-throw line.
Atkinson had game-high honors with 32 points, while Kuemmerle chipped in with 12 and Crosby added eight.
With the victory, Schlarman advances to the Colfax Ridgeview Sectional where on Wednesday the Hilltoppers will play the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Falcons, a 51-42 winner over the Lexington Minutemen. That game is scheduled to tipoff at 7 p.m.
At Shebby Gymnasium
IHSA Class 1A regional championship
Schlarman Academy 61, LaSalette Academy 52 (OT)
Schlarman (61) — Mark Lehmann 1 0-0 2, Princeton Rush 1 0-1 2, Jerrius Atkinson 14 3-6 32, Peyton Kuemmerle 3 5-10 12, Noah Fowler 2 0-0 5, Miles Crosby 1 6-8 8, Anthony Dye 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22 14-25 61.
LaSalette (52) — Ben Blood 0 0-0 0, Joseph Sumantri 0 1-2 1, John Brauner 1 3-4 6, Andrew Sick 3 0-0 8, Marco Cruz 5 2-6 13, JP Agbapunonwu 0 0-0 0, Owen Whitehead 2 0-0 5, Elijah Hall 7 5-10 19. Totals: 18 11-22 52.
Schlarman 14 8 8 17 15 — 61
LaSalette 17 12 9 9 3 — 52
3-pointers — Schlarman 3 (Atkinson 1, Kummerle 1, Fowler 1). LaSalette 5 (Sick 2, Brauner 1, Cruz 1, Whitehead 1). Total fouls — Schlarman 13, LaSalette 21. Fouled out — Hall.
Records — Schlarman Academy 17-10 overall. LaSalette Academy 19-11 overall.