03-13-10
BY JACK BULLOCK
PEORIA - Normally when the Breese Central Cougars score 70 points – you can chalk up a victory.

In fact they scored 70 or more eight times during the regular season – all wins during its run at the Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division championship.

But on Saturday night in the third place game they ran into an offensive machine in Chicago Hales Franciscan – a team clearly playing with a chip on its shoulder after having lost the previous night to the eventual state-champ Robinson.

Hales – who entered the 2A Final Four ranked number one in the class – were nearly unstoppable in an 80-70 victory that sent the third place trophy back to Chicago and kept Breese Central winless in Peoria.

Led by 23-points from guard Patrick Miller and 22 from backcourt mate Jamie Adams – the Spartans held off every Cougar scoring run to finish their season at 29-3.

“They (Hales) are a tremendous basketball team and the kids and I agree that they are probably the best team that we have played all year,” said Breese Central head coach Stan Eagleson. “They really have a lot of offensive weapons. The shots that they made in the third quarter when we were trying to make a run they just would not miss.”

Central ended its splendid campaign at 30-5 and took home its first ever boy’s basketball state tournament trophy in defeat.

Senior David Wiegmann closed out his career at BC with a 32-point outburst in the contest and his senior frontcourt teammate Garrett Gaffner closed his prep run with 10-points.

Sophomore Brandon Book was second in scoring for Central with 23-points.

The defensive end in this offensive display was the difference, as Hales made enough stops in the fourth quarter and Central couldn’t slow down the Spartans.

“Everyone knows how difficult this third place game can be so I want to compliment both teams on a very competitive game,” said Hales Franciscan head coach Gary London. “Both teams were playing like it was the championship game – which is a credit to both of the programs. We told the kids in the shoot around today that this is the last game of the year and we don’t want to lose the last game of the year.”

Breese Central hit their free throws (14-of-20) and shot a pretty decent percentage from the floor (25-of-57 for 43.9 percent) but couldn’t keep Hales Franciscan from scoring in giving up the most points they had allowed all season.

The Cougars never led in the contest but stayed close in the first quarter.

Book delivered a 3-pointer with :34 seconds left in the opening stanza as Central trailed just 16-14 at the end of one.

Hales went on a 10-4 run to open the second quarter for its first double-digit advantage.

Adams scored five of the ten points on a 3-pointer and a drive to the basket for a 28-18 lead.

The Spartans led by 14 early in the third quarter after another Adams score made it 54-40 with 2:50 remaining.

At this point Central showed no signs of giving up.

The Cougars cut into the lead and were within striking range after an 8-2 run late in the game got Central to within five points.

Baskets by Book (3-pointer) Gaffner and Wiegmann and two free throws by Book cut the lead down to 73-68 with 2:54 left.

“Our effort was there – I thought that the effort was tremendous and we cut it back down to five or six there but we needed to make five or six shots,” added Coach Eagleson. “We handled the ball a little better and didn’t have as many turnovers. But we missed some open shots in the first half. We handled the ball better and shot the ball better than we did last night. I couldn’t be prouder of our kids in the two games we played up here.”

But Hales – as it had done the entire contest – responded with points after every Central scoring run.

Miller scored on a backbreaking three-point play conventional style and then Adams and Aaron Armstead closed out the game from the foul line as the two teams emptied their benches in the final moments.

Central took care of the ball better than they did in its semifinal contest against Peoria Manual but when they did turn it over – Hales made them pay.

The Spartans scored 21-points directly off of Central mistakes with 13 of the points coming on fast break opportunities. Hales finished with 12 steals.

Hales Franciscan shot just 41.7 percent from the floor but canned seven 3-pointers.

“Our defense has been pretty good this year and I thought at times it was tonight,” added Coach Eagleson. “But they just made some unbelievable shots. They are just a great offensive basketball team.”

Hales Franciscan (80) – Aaric Armstead 1 0 3-5 5, Walls 4 0 2-5 10, Miller 8 2 1-1 23, Adams 3 4 4-6 22, Aaron Armstead 5 0 2-2 12, Johnson 0 0 0-0 0, Peppers 1 1 0-0 5, Lomax 0 0 0-0 0, Martin 1 0 1-2 3, Thigpen 0 0 0-0 0, Cavin 0 0 0-0 0, Smith 0 0 0-0 0, Humphrey 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-23, 3FG-7, FT-13-21, PF-16.
Breese Central (70) – Wiegmann 10 1 9-11 32, Book 3 5 2-2 23, Gaffner 4 0 2-5 10, Grapperhaus 1 0 1-2 3, Scheer 0 0 0-0 0, Rakers 0 0 0-0 0, Timmerman 0 0 0-0 0, Lake 0 0 0-0 0, Poettker 0 0 0-0 0, Norrenberns 1 0 0-0 2, Finan 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-19, 3FG-6, FT-14-20, PF-15
Fouled Out – Grapperhaus - Breese Central.
Technical Fouls – None.