The Rochelle varsity boys basketball team faced a stiff test from the LaSalle-Peru Cavaliers on Friday, and to keep their winning streak alive, the Hubs needed to close out the game with one of their key players sidelined with an injury.
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ROCHELLE — The Rochelle varsity boys basketball team faced a stiff test from the LaSalle-Peru Cavaliers on Friday, and to keep their winning streak alive, the Hubs needed to close out the game with one of their key players sidelined with an injury.
Leading 37-32 entering the fourth quarter, Rochelle kept its tight lead over LaSalle-Peru behind seven fourth-quarter points from senior forward Johnny Beck, who sunk 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch. After junior guard Seth Gould went down awkwardly and had to be helped to the trainer's office with a knee injury, the short-handed Hubs fought feverishly to hang on, and as time wore down, Rochelle needed one final out-of-bounds play to seal the win.
With Rochelle leading by two points, junior guard Austin Brown caught an out-of-bounds pass and avoided three LaSalle-Peru defenders before finding sophomore teammate Garrett Burdin for an open pass. As the clock expired, the Hubs emerged victorious by a score of 47-45 to improve to 9-10 overall and extend their winning streak to a season-best five games.
"It was a very physical game but we played great defense," head coach Tim Thompson said. "We didn't shoot the ball very well but the kids were able to grind out a hard-fought win."
Friday was Rochelle and LaSalle-Peru's second encounter this season after the Cavaliers rolled over the Hubs 72-48 at home on Dec. 15. Despite surrendering all eight of LaSalle-Peru's first-quarter points to Elliot Tubbs, who led the Cavaliers with 16 points in the game, Rochelle entered the second quarter leading 11-8 behind five points from Beck, who scored a team-high 18 points for the Hubs. Burdin knocked down one 3-pointer while junior guard Landan Martin added three points as well.
The Cavaliers made just four shots in the second quarter, as Rochelle extended its lead to 23-18 by halftime. Burdin sunk his second 3-pointer of the game to finish with six points, and Gould made two layups for four of his eight points. Senior guard Kaleb Ackland stepped up for the Hubs in the third quarter, scoring five of his seven points.
Tubbs and guard Drake Weber combined for nine points in the fourth quarter to give the Cavaliers a much-needed offensive boost. Rochelle managed to split the season series with LaSalle-Peru despite being outscored 13-10 in the fourth quarter. The Hubs will face Byron and Freeport in the Freeport MLK Championship on Monday.
