For a while there, Al Holverson had to be wondering just what it took to get a win in the rugged SICA East. Now the Thornwood coach knows it takes gritty defense, clutch shooting, guts at the free-throw line and the emotion of one of the fiercest rivalries around.
The 11th-ranked Thunderbirds, nearly given up for dead after they trailed by 10 with little less than six minutes to play, rose from the ashes to stun No. 3 Thornridge 69-65 Friday in front of a full house at Thornwood.
Thornwood, winner of seven straight, came into Friday`s showdown with an 11-0 out-of-conference record, but was only 1-3 inside the SICA East.
Cliff Floyd played like a man possessed, scoring 25 points. Donya Witcher scored all of his 11 points in the final quarter, including a double- pump jumper in the lane that gave the Thunderbirds a 61-59 lead with 1 minute 46 seconds left-their first lead since early in the second quarter.
Thornridge played without 6-foot-4-inch senior Jonathan Boyles, who was averaging 15 points a game. Boyles suffered a sprained ankle during Thursday`s practice and did not dress.
”But that`s no excuse,” Thornridge coach Mike Flaherty said. ”We played enough people that somebody should have stepped in and did the things he (Boyles) is supposed to do.”
The Falcons also started without Townsend Orr, who was late for the team bus.
Thornridge stretched a four-point lead to 10 early in the fourth quarter. Cody Johnson (12 points) hit a pair of free throws and Mark Banas (15 points) came up with two straight interceptions. One turned into an Orr (23 points) layup, and the second gave the Falcons a 55-45 lead when Banas hit a jumper.
That`s when the Thunderbirds struck back.
”We put our heads together and said we`re going to play some ball,”
Floyd said.
The first quarter started slowly as turnovers kept up with points. That, Flaherty said, is where the Falcons lost their chance.
”I`m not sure Thornwood thought they could play with us at first,”
he said. ”But we let them hang in the game until they capitalized. Thornwood made the free throws, but we played dumb basketball.”
