Pontiac shows maturity in topping Central Catholic
After getting thumped by the likes of Simeon and New Trier last week, some teams might be a bit intimidated having to make a road trip to highly touted Central Catholic. What's more, there was a special guest in the audience taking in the game.
Regardless of having University of Illinois head basketball coach Brad Underwood sitting in the front row, Pontiac showed no anxiety whatsoever as it powered to a 73-65 victory over the host Saints in the Illini Prairie Conference opener for the Tribe.
“That holiday tournament is such a great experience for our guys,” PTHS head coach Matt Kelley said. “The kids have dealt with so much pressure that when we get out here they're so much more comfortable.”
The Indians looked every bit the more comfortable team on the floor from the beginning. They were able to move the ball on offense, finding the open guy and making shots. Four different players made the scoring column in the first 2½ minutes of play as Pontiac built an 11-4 lead.
“We talked about really sharing the basketball,” Kelley said. “We have five or six guys who can score and we said as long as we work the ball and get some reversals, we'll get a wide-open shot, and we don't care who takes it as long as we're taking the right shot. I thought we really shared the ball well.”
This was a factor as the Indians were able to maintain an advantage throughout.
Central Catholic is a very good team. In fact, the Saints were ranked in the top 10 in Class 2A before the holidays, and was 11th in the latest AP poll. They have a lethal weapon in Cole Certa, a sharpshooting 6-foot-5 junior that was object of Underwood's attention on this night.
Still, that meant nothing. Certa finished with 26 points but had to work for each one as Michael Kuska hounded the star guard despite giving up half a foot in height. Kelley offered praise for the way Kuska played defense.
Central Catholic received help from other players, as well, as it battled to stay close.
But it was Pontiac, a team coming slate of games that featured one nationally ranked team, another on the ranking radar in Class 4A, as well as facing the now No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the Class 2A rankings.
It was obvious these little tribe of Indians was not going to back down, and they didn't.
Logan Barnett had a nice tip-in of a Riley Weber miss and Kuska drilled a 3-pointer to close out the first quarter with PTHS leading 21-15.
Treys from Kuska and Weber later in the second gave PTHS a 31-19 advantage. Although Central Catholic cut the margin to six late in the period, the Indians were able to take a 41-32 lead into the break after Weber hit a triple from the left wing as time ran out on the half.
Weber was still stroking in the third quarter as he buried a 3-pointer right in front of Underwood that gave the Indians a 44-34 lead. The was the biggest lead of the second half as the Saints fought back.
BCC's defense got a bit stronger and its shooting got a bit better as the home team rallied. Rye Pirtz scored inside and outside for a personal five-point surge to tie the game at 50-50 in the final minute of the third. Certa connected on a deep 3 as time ran out to give the Saints a 53-52 edge heading into the final frame.
“We knew there would be a run coming, we knew it was going to come down to the end,” Kelley said. “We have guys that played last year a lot and that experience is paying off.
“We lost some games last year down the stretch that now we're finding ways to win. That's from experience and going through the growing pains. The kids are starting to see how to win games.”
The guys stepped up in a big way, starting with Weber. The lanky lefty drove the lane and got fouled nine seconds into the last stanza. He converted the three-point play to give the Indians the lead for good.
In baseball parlance, Drew Wayman came in and got a hold. The senior came in for Barnett, who was saddled with foul trouble, and provided key minutes, as well as a couple major baskets early in the fourth quarter.
Pontiac was able to put the game away down the stretch as Kerr Bauman hit four free throws and Weber drained one over the final 1:35.
Henry Brummel led the Indians (10-5) with 18 points and Bauman added 17. Weber checked in with 15 points, Kuska chalked up 11 and Barnett and Wayman each tallied 6 markers.
Certa led Central Catholic (10-5) with 26 points and Colin Hayes added 21.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Pontiac Indians show maturity in topping Central Catholic Saints
