Submitted by VHS Boys Basketball Coach
Tino Tucker, Photo by Joe Prax
It’s finally the time in the year we have all been excited for and working towards: the postseason! It’s time to really show off all the hard work everyone around the state has been putting in with their eyes on the ultimate goal: a state championship.
Before we look too far ahead we have to first take care of business in our Aurora Conference regional tournament – the epitome of win or go home.
At this point in the season, we have played, and won, against every team in our conference. We all feel confident in our chances to come out as region champions, but first we have to go out there and preform to the best of our capability.
Many of our opponents have put together solid runs, or entire quarters, against us. If they were able to put together a couple good quarters, and we were to come out flat for another quarter or two, things could get ugly. Anything can happen, and they say an animal is most dangerous when it’s backed into a corner. We really need to come out with that sense of urgency and make a statement that we are indeed the top dogs here, and the team to beat.
On top of that, we still have our eyes on higher goals, and are still getting better every single day. All these games are opportunities to improve. Every day is a new day to get better, and that is really what this journey is all about – that drive to get better every day.
Peyton Gage, Photo by Joe Prax
Game 1: Galena.
We had a couple statement wins against Galena earlier this year. The Hawks had already played, and won, earlier in the day against Eielson. In that game they really did a great job scoring in the post in the first half against Eielson’s zone. In the second half that post scoring opened opportunities on the perimeter for them. One of Galena’s freshman guards came in and scored at least 7 (!!) three pointers. So these were some of the things we were keeping in mind going into this matchup.
We started the game in a modified version of our half court trap defense, and really sent a message right away. Owen and Jarrett dominated the quarter offensively, each scoring 10 points, to lead what was one of our highest scoring quarters of the year. At the end of the first the Bucs led 27-9.
Galena never broke double digit scoring in any of the four quarters, and the Bucs built on their lead to ultimately win 74-32.
In the second quarter Tino handled the scoring load while Jarrett and Barrett chipped in a couple nice jumpers along the way.
In the third, we maintained that same focus and continued the push. Tino had a sequence where he made three straight three pointers on three consecutive possessions which really got the crowd going. Jace has been dealing with a twisted ankle this week, but had a chance to get some run on it and he also hit a nice three pointer for us during the period.
Eventually our bench mob had a chance to get some postseason minutes and hit that running clock threshold to secure the win.
Owen Watson, Photo by Joe Prax
Tino, Jarrett and Owen led the way scoring with 20, 14 and 14.
Day 2: Delta (Aurora Conference Championship game)
This game started off similar to our earlier contests back on senior night weekend. Delta had that belief that they could run with anyone.
In the first quarter they did a great job attacking our half court press and also made a couple 3pt shots. In our previous encounters with this new Delta squad they started the game out hot and took a first quarter lead, and today was no different. Delta led after one 13-11.
I’ve discussed mental toughness from time to time in these coach’s journals and it’s something that we have emphasized in practice almost more than anything else. From where we started this season in that regard, to where we are now, is astounding. The toughness and resilience these guys have shown in the last couple weeks leading up to regionals has been great. That mental toughness is the life flow of great teams. And it’s really something you have to work on every single day, just as we do with shooting, dribbling or passing.
After Delta took the lead at the end of the first quarter it could have been a chance for a weaker team to fold and crumble under the pressure. Instead – we came out and showed everybody in the conference who we were. A balanced scoring effort from Tino, Jarrett, Barrett, Owen, and Rylen led to us having our highest scoring period of the game with 18.
More importantly – the defensive intensity is what made the difference. Some adjustments between quarters turned the tide on the game – holding Delta to merely two points (off of a single set of free throws) the entire quarter.
We went into the half leading 29-15, and from there we were able to maintain around a 10 or 12 point lead for the rest of the game which led us to a repeat Aurora Conference championship win 50-39. Tino and Jarrett led the way scoring with 20 and 11.
Some things that really affected our win in a positive way:
In the first half, Tino got into some foul trouble and was forced to sit for a large chunk of time in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The mental toughness to persevere through that adversity was huge. When he came back into the game towards the end, just his presence alone really deflated the energy and hope of any sort of comeback from Delta. He added an 8 point fourth quarter which was a huge dagger.
While Tino sat with foul trouble, Rylen took his place and played some great minutes for us. He really has a knack for getting to places to make things happen, whether it be making extra passes to keep the energy in the ball as it moves – to his rebounding from the guard position. He was able to secure us a number of extra possessions from crashing the boards. Just before halftime his on ball defense led to a steal in the open court where he ran down and scored a layup while getting fouled. That was a HUGE momentum boost for us going into the half.
We have been dealing with lingering sickness for weeks now and Nick and Grayson have been hit with it bad these past few days. They went out and played every minute of the game like it was their last. Diving on loose balls, driving to the paint, rebounding like madmen. They gave every single ounce of energy they had. That energy and commitment to the team no matter the cost is what has made them such great leaders for us these past four years.
Along with the Championship Win, Nick was named to the All Conference Sportsmanship team. The Bucs had four all conference player representatives: Tino, Nick, Owen and Jarrett, who was also named the Aurora Conference most valuable player!
We now have about a week and a half of preparation before we head to the state tournament later this month. We play against the Barrow Whalers in the first round. Go Bucs!
Tino Tucker, Photo by Joe Prax