Buzzer-beater stuns Illini Bluffs one game from the IHSA basketball state finals

One of the most memorable seasons in Illini Bluffs boys basketball history came to an unforgettable finish Monday in the Class 1A Jacksonville Supersectional.

The Tigers built an eight-point lead over Waterloo Gibault in the fourth quarter, but could not hold off a comeback and were stunned with a 45-44 loss on a 3-point buzzer-beater at the Jacksonville Bowl that put them out of the playoffs.

Illini Bluffs went 32-5 and made its first supersectional appearance in 42 years, since a Class A sectional win in 1981. This was not supposed to be where their season ended as they pursued their first trip to the Illinois HIgh School Association state finals.

The Tigers players stood, sat, and lay in the paint as Gibault fans stormed the court and ran past them toward Kameron Hanvey, whose desperate deep 3 — at least 28 feet — from the left wing swished through moments before.

"It was a broken play," Illini Bluffs coach Clay Vass said. "One more heartbeat and they would have run out of time. It's not fair to them, what happened. It's a life lesson. Sometimes you work harder than the other guy, do everything you are supposed to do, you are better, you earn success but don't get it.

"Sports is about learning lessons as well the camaraderie and playing the game. Tonight, our team learned a pretty hard one."

Illini Bluffs led 44-42 with 14 seconds left when Gibault started toward the game-winner. The play started with a perimeter look from Kanen Augustine, who handed off to Hanvey.

Hanvey tried to drive from the top of the key but was cut off by IB defender Toby Cooper. They collided and Cooper went to the floor, clutching his leg.

Hanvey dumped the ball off to Gavin Kesler, who tried a drive down the left side of the paint for 2 and a tie. But with 6-foot-9 IB center Hank Alvey protecting the rim dead ahead, Kessler stumbled and fell, and desperately kicked a pass out to Hanvey deep on the left wing.

It went in, Gibault went on to Champaign, and IB went home.

"Their coach (Dennis Rueter) said, 'Sometimes the best team doesn't win. We took a shot that had a 25% chance at the buzzer and it went in,' " Vass said. "I can't disagree with a lot of that. It was a broken play. Really hard for us to accept what happened."

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Alvey had a double-double on 14 points and 14 rebounds. Cooper had 12 points, including seven in the fourth quarter. Senior Brandon Coats had 10.

"They formed a brotherhood, this team," Vass said. "They stuck together. It's the cruel reality of single-elimination. I was proud of them."

Gibault led 12-10 with 7:03 left in the second quarter — its first lead of the game — but Alvey hit a hook shot, a pair of free throws, blocked a shot and pulled down five rebounds in the quarter to get IB to halftime with a 20-16 lead.

He opened the second half with a putback for 22-16, and when Devon White had a putback with 4:04 left in the third quarter the Tigers had their biggest lead of the game at 28-20.

Cooper drained a pull-up jumper to open the fourth quarter for a 32-24 lead. Cooper hit a pull-up 3 from the left wing for 37-29 with 5:46 left in the game.

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Gibault produced a pair of layups and-1 to scratch back in it, but again Cooper connected with a runner for 39-32 at the 4:36 mark.

In the deep stretch, Alvey hit a pair of free throws to keep the game at 44-39 with 47 seconds remaining.

Alvey then blocked a shot, the ball was kicked out on the rebound to Kanen Augustine on the left wing, and he put down a 3 to cut IB's lead to 44-42 with 27 seconds left.

White was fouled with 18 seconds left and went to the line for a one-and-one, but he missed the front end. That left Gibault with possession and 14 seconds to win it, and they did.

"We had injuries and illness and lost a couple kids from the team this year, good players," Vass said. "But we adjusted to it and still won games. I'm proud of them."

And they have every expectation to win games again next season and get back to this supersectional. Coats is the only senior departing a Tigers team that includes six sophomores and four juniors.

"You never know what's going to happen," Vass said. "We won't say wait until next year. But in theory the expectation is that we'll better, stronger, and we should be … Coats was our glue. He held us together, and losing him is going to be hard to replace."

Gibault (30-7) advances to a state semifinal against Bloomington Cornerstone Christian Academy, scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday at State Farm Center in Champaign. Tuscola and Scales Mound meet in the other Class 1A semifinal.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Buzzer-beater stuns Illini Bluffs one game from IHSA basketball state finals