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Boys Basketball: Cory Windle, Aurora Christian top Aurora Central in OT
| Michele du Vair~For Sun-Times Media
Updated: February 4, 2012 11:31PM
Cory Windle didn’t hang his head for long, and it paid dividends for the Aurora Christian junior in Saturday’s 61-58 win in overtime at Aurora Central.
Windle took a lob on an inbounds play with 1.4 seconds remaining and missed a wide-open layup that could have broken a 54-54 tie and ended the Suburban Christian Conference game in regulation.
“I just shot it too quick and I was a little hasty with it,” said the 6-foot-4 forward whose shot was too high above the rim and bounced harmlessly off the glass as time expired.
“I could have come down with it and went back up. I couldn’t worry about it too long because I had to think about finishing the game.”
With his team leading 57-56 and time winding under a minute in overtime, Windle intercepted an ACC pass near the top of the key and went downcourt for a layup.
He was fouled by Anthony Andujar with 55.7 seconds left and calmly made both free throws that proved to be the winning points.
“He’s so good at anticipating and seeing what’s gonna happen before it happens,” Aurora Christian coach Steve Hanson said. “He didn’t get down on himself and executed what he had to do. He’s been playing really well.”
With 26.7 seconds left, ACC’s Paul Kaminski knocked heads with the Eagles’ Jake Hanson while trying to steal the ball and both players went to the floor bleeding from cuts to their heads. Kaminski was whistled for a foul on the play and junior Haydn McNelis stepped in for him and made both free throws for the winners’ final points as they completed a comeback from a five-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Ryan Suttle had 17 points and C.J. Schutt 16 for the Eagles, who are 17-5 overall and 5-3 in the league.
Robert DeMyers led ACC (7-12, 2-4) with 18 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots and Andujar added 13.
The teams were tied at 24 at the half and the host Chargers led 43-38 after three quarters.
“I’m just so proud of the guys,” said Hanson. “That’s the first game all year we’ve come down to one possession and they executed so well. We got down early but fought our way back”
The Chargers had five of their 17 turnovers in the fourth quarter as they tried to protect the lead.
“We should have closed it out,” ACC Coach Nate Drye said. “That’s the fourth straight game we’ve had the lead in the fourth quarter and weren’t able to close it out.”
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