D-C hangs on for regional title

Dundee-Crown's Aaron Reams, hoisted atop the shoulders of fans, celebrates Friday after DC's regional title victory against Huntley at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville.
(Dave Shields / For The Courier-News)

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CARPENTERSVILLE -- What the Dundee-Crown Class 4A Regional championship game lacked in scoring it more than made up for in late-game drama.

Following a series of pressure-packed free throws, the host Chargers hung on for a hard-fought 35-33 triumph when Huntley’s Jordan Neukirch missed a baseline runner at the buzzer.

The game-tying attempt came on the heels came of a pair of clutch free throws from D-C senior Charles Kimbrough with five seconds left.

The lanky 6-foot-6 center isn’t known for his free-throw shooting prowess, making the trip to the line for the one-and-a-bonus attempt all the more interesting.

After swishing home his first attempt, Kimbrough turned to D-C’s boisterous fans, let out a yell and pumped his fists. He then collected himself and swished home the second attempt, sending the Chargers on the way to their second regional title in three years.

D-C (21-5) advances to play McHenry in the Elgin Sectional on Wednesday.

“I just thought ‘hit these free throws or I could cost us this game,’” Kimbrough said. “This game meant a lot more to me than just the regional title. I took this game to heart.

“I’ve been practicing free throws all day today. In gym class and in my spare time I was shooting free throws, and it came in handy.” 

The third-seeded Red Raiders dictated the tempo throughout and nearly pulled off their second upset of the week. With defense ruling the day and the game moving at a snail’s pace, Huntley (15-13) hung with the bigger and swifter Chargers right up to the final minute when free-throw shooting became paramount.

Neukirch missed a pair of critical free throws with 50 seconds left, allowing D-C to maintain its 31-29 lead. The Chargers then pushed that advantage to four when Marcus Henry sank two free throws with 42 seconds left.

Neukirch then got another chance at the line on Huntley’s ensuing possession, this time sinking both attempts to pull the Raiders within 33-31. After D-C’s Rob Stupar missed the front end of a one-and-one, Neukirch made his way back to the line and again sank two free throws to tie the game at 33 with 14 seconds left.

Following a D-C timeout, Kimbrough drew what seemed to be an inadvertent foul as he set a screen near the right wing with five seconds left. After he sank his free throws, both teams used timeouts to prepare for the final seconds, building the suspense for the final seconds.

Neukirch then drove the length of the floor and lofted a shot from the baseline that bounced off the side of the rim. Kimbrough tipped the ball as it bounced away from the basket, eliciting calls for goaltending from Huntley’s bench. However, the call stood and D-C’s student body quickly rushed the floor to celebrate the triumph.

“I’ll have to look at the tape,” Huntley coach Marty Manning said. “Jordan made a hell of a play and unfortunately the ball didn’t bounce the right way.”

After neither team led by more than four points in the first half, the Raiders opened a 22-16 advantage early in the third quarter. However, D-C quickly turned the tide with a 13-3 run to close the quarter.

Chargers senior Jeff Beck led the charge, scoring his team’s final eight points of the quarter, including a nifty three-point play on a drive to the basket and a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the period.

However, the outburst was fleeting for Beck, who managed only 10 points while facing constant pressure from Neukirch for much of the night.

“They are a really physical team,” Beck said. “We were trying to set screens and they were just running right through them. We couldn’t really move the ball too well and get any inside shots at all.”

Henry added eight points and four rebounds for the Chargers. 

Aside from his free-throw heroics, Kimbrough tallied six points, five rebounds and three blocks. His presence in the post proved pivotal for D-C’s defense as Huntley was forced to do most of its shooting from the perimeter.

“(Kimbrough) was definitely a presence in the paint and we needed it,” D-C coach Lance Huber said. “Then he hit those two big foul shots, which was just awesome.”

Brett DePorter led the Red Raiders with 10 points. Neukirch and Zac Boster added eight points a piece.

Despite the season-ending loss, Manning had few issues with his team’s effort.

“My guys did a great job tonight running the offense,” Manning said. “Defensively they did an awesome job and I couldn’t be prouder of the way they played. This time of year there’s got to be one winner and one loser. Unfortunately it was us.”

BOX SCORE

DUNDEE-CROWN 35, HUNTLEY 33

Huntley (15-13)

DePorter 3 2-2 10, J. Neukirch 2 4-6 8, Boster 3 0-0 8, Pettit 1 2-2 4, D. Neukirch 1 1-1 3. Totals 10 9-11 33.

Dundee-Crown (21-5)

Beck 4 1-1 10, Henry 1 6-6 8, Kimbrough 2 3-2 6, Reams 2 0-2 4, Stupar 1 0-1 3, Strzelczyk 1 0-0 2, McNally 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 9-13 35.

Huntley               6     11     8     8   --  33

Dundee-Crown   6      8     15    6   --  35

3-point goals: Huntley: 4 (DePorter 2, Boster 2). D-C: 2 (Beck, Stupar). Fouled out: D-C: Reams.