Bazzell hits 1,000-point mark as Hawks clinch IPC title

FAIRBURY — It was truly a nice of celebration for the Bazzell family and the Prairie Central boys basketball team. Both entities hit marks as the Hawks rallied for a 72-66 victory over Central Catholic at PCHS Tuesday night.

For Prairie Central, the victory completed a perfect 9-0 run through the Illini Prairie Conference that clinched the league championship. It's the first league championship for PC in 21 years.

“Finally won a conference championship,” said PC head coach Darin Bazzell. “It's a goal we had. The kids committed and bought in, they played for each other. They play for that name on their shirt. I can't be more proud of these guys.”

Bazzell is also proud of the kid wearing the jersey with the number “14” on it. That kid is Dylan Bazzell and it was his 34-point effort against Central Catholic that helped secure the IPC title. Dylan Bazzell also surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his career.

Needing 27 points coming in, Bazzell hit the mark with the first of two free throw makes with 5:19 left in the game. His team still trailed 55-52 at the time, but the Hawks were beginning to roll.

“I didn't even know I was near 1,000, I just wanted to win this game,” Dylan Bazzell said. “We hadn't won a conference championship in 21 years.”

For the Bazzells, the 1,000 points were secondary on this night and it's something they will recall for a long time. The more important task was posting the victory to claim the IPC crown outright. Pontiac still has one loss on the season and would have been able to tie for the title by winning it's last three league games and PC lost this one.

The Hawks losing this game was looking like more of a reality through the better part of it.

“We were down (11) points and that's all I could think about, we had to win this game,” Dylan Bazzell of the team's mindset at the half. “It started with defense, we had to get stops in order to get back in the game. We got just enough stops and we came out on top.”

Prairie Central was trailing 35-26 at the intermission and had trailed by as much as 13 points in the first half. The Hawks lost their 9-8 lead with 1:13 to go when Colin Hayes scored inside. The Saints held the lead the middle of the fourth quarter.

With Illinois head coach Brad Underwood looking on right behind the scorer's table, Central Catholic was in control of this contest with Cole Certa in the driver's seat. Certa was the object of Underwood's appearance.

Prairie Central ramped up its defense in the third quarter and that allowed the Hawks to make its charge.

“Everything led from the defense,” PC junior Tyler Curl said. “Our defense really stepped it up (in the second half), turned the ball over, got huge possessions and huge 3s. That turned the tables for the win.”

The Hawks were down 46-33 with 3:52 to go in the third period when they started their push. It started with a thunderous dunk by Bazzell off a feed from Drew Fehr. Bazzell then buried a 3-pointer to get the deficit into single digits with 2:48 left in the quarter.

BCC led 47-38 when the Hawks closed out the frame with an 8-0 run. Curl hit a trey, Bazzell converted a three-point play and then added more charity tosses. This cut the Saints advantage to 47-46 with eight minutes to play.

Central Catholic was able to stave off PC until Camden Palmore connected for 3 with 4:45 to go in regulation. This tied the game at 55-55. The Saints answered but Bazzell hit a triple that put Prairie Central up 58-57, which was its first lead since the first period.

Certa hit a long 3-pointer to make it 64-61 with 2:41 remaining. There was a problem the Saints were facing that became a major issue. BCC was in foul trouble and this meant the Hawks were going to the free throw line on any common foul.

Palmore was the first Hawk to go to the line in the final 2:12. He hit one of two throws to make it 64-62. Curl was fouled with 1:56 to go and hit both tosses to tie the game at 64-64.

Fehr was fouled going after a loose ball and made the first of two tries. Bazzell got the rebound of the second and was fouled. He made both shots to put PC ahead 67-64 with 1:31 left.

Charlie Graham scored inside with 50 seconds on the clock. It was Central Catholic's final tally of the game.

Curl was fouled with 20.7 seconds to go and made the first of his two throws but Bazzell snared the carom and was fouled. He made the first toss but missed the second and in a battle with Hayes, Fehr got credit for the tip-in basket that put PC up 71-66 with 16 seconds left.

Darin Bazzell noted that the two rebounds by Dylan Bazzell were key, as was the aggressiveness down the stretch.

The biggest difference in the second half was Prairie Central's defense.

“We said a few things but it wasn't anything rah, rah,” Darin Bazzell said. “We didn't talk well enough defensively (in the first half). We weren't talking on some back screens and things we do well.

“We got back to the basics on defense — talking, chucking their cutters, taking them off their path and communication.”

Dylan Bazzell finished with 34 points and Curl added 15 for the Hawks (24-2, 9-0). Palmore tossed in 10 markers while Fehr scored 9 points. Levi Goad, who saw his first action since Christmas, and Gage Steidinger each scored 2 points.

“This is the first part of our goal,” Curl said. “We set goals throughout the year and our first goal was to get a conference championship. We got and it's awesome.”

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Dylan Bazzell hits 1,000-point mark as Hawks clinch IPC title