A basket with 1.9 seconds remaining decided it. Any number of things leading up to that shot, it could be argued, proved to be the difference.
Michael Pollack’s drive to the lane and floater from eight feet was the game-winner. It lifted DeKalb to a 41-39 win Wednesday over Geneva in the title game of the 88th annual Chuck Dayton Holiday Classic at DeKalb.
“We didn’t lose the game on that one play, but they won the game on that play,” Geneva coach Phil Ralston said.
It sealed the tournament MVP award for Pollack. The 6-foot-3 senior guard led the Barbs (10-3) with 14 points.
“I thought our guys did a phenomenal job of defending their action,” Ralston said. “DeKalb runs really tough stuff to guard. Mental errors hurt us. We fell asleep on three possessions on Pollack and he buried us, making shots on all three.”
There were late-game failures.
“Our last three possessions, we didn’t get anything out of them,” Ralston said.
The Barbs’ 6-8 Luke Davis tied the game 39-39 on a layup with 1:22 remaining. Brandon Schleicher missed a layup but Geneva (10-3) got it back when a DeKalb player stepped out of bounds with the rebound.
During a timeout, Ralston set up a play for the final shot, but left the option to take an open shot.
Geneva’s Cole Navigato thought he had one on a drive to the basket with less than 30 seconds, but it was partially blocked by Davis. The Barbs’ big man won a battle for the rebound with 24 seconds remaining, setting up Pollack’s heroics.
“Cole thought he saw daylight,” Ralston said. “I know he had a good angle at the basket. He probably should have finished it but it just kind of rolled off the rim, otherwise, it could’ve been a different situation.”
Finally, there was the Vikings’ 6:32 scoring drought spanning parts of the third and fourth quarters.
Geneva led 23-20 at the half and opened the third quarter with an 8-2 spurt, highlighted by 3-pointers from Drew Klaus and all-tourney selection Dominic Navigato. Klaus has gotten more time with leading scorer Bennett Fuzak missing his second week due to injury.
Sean Chambers’ layup on an assist from all-tourney choice Matt Johnston gave Geneva the largest lead in the game, 31-22, with 4:14 left in the third.
The Vikings didn’t score again in the quarter and the Barbs ran off 13 straight points to lead 35-31.
What happened?
“We’re not the most athletic team in the world, but we thought we could get some opportunities by pressing them,” DeKalb coach Al Biancalana said. “Down nine, we ran a little run and jump (effectively double-teaming the ball near mid-court on select occasions).
“Joey Sauser came up with a steal and basket to cut it to seven and that just lifted us up. All of a sudden we’ve got tremendous energy and got some more turnovers.”
Ralston wasn’t sure it was the difference, however.
“Our guys didn’t panic, they settled down, got back into it and we got some baskets and actually had a lead again,” he said.
Geneva shot better — 45 percent to DeKalb’s 38 percent — and rebounded better (29-22), but committed 11 turnovers to the Barbs’ four.
Jordan Vedder came off the bench and scored all 13 points in the first half. Geneva also got eight from Johnston, but did not shoot a free throw in the game. DeKalb was 4-for-7.
Marmion 65, West Chicago 56: Hunter Weber scored 18 points, all-tournament team selection Mick Sullivan had 17 and Matt Fletcher added 12 to lead the Cadets (8-5) in the third-place game. Tai Bibbs had 13 points for the Wildcats (10-3).
Twitter: @RickArmstrong28
