03-01-13
BY JACK BULLOCK
OKAWVILLE - In a contest in which neither team was successful for most of the evening, there was one key stat that eventually separated Madison and Waterloo Gibault, one that proved to be the Hawks' downfall and provided the Trojans a path to the Jacksonville Supersectional.

Coach Jaime Cotto saw his club dominate the rebounding totals, grabbing a gargantuan 19-offensive rebounds, turning most of those second chances into points as Madison edged Gibault for the second time this season, 51-49, to capture the school's third sectional title in the six seasons of four-class basketball.

Behind a game-high 21-points from Marquis Bourney and a 38-29 edge on the boards, Madison will head back to Jacksonville for the first time since 2010 with the victory that improved the Trojans to 19-10.

Madison's Tyvon Powers, a 5-foot-9 junior guard, came up big from the foul line for Coach Cotto.

For a team that struggled from the stripe, hitting just 8-of-19, it was Powers who hit 5-of-6 charities in the fourth quarter to help secure the victory.

Powers was second behind Bourney with 17-points, 11 of which came in the final period.

“They (Gibault) are an excellent team. This is kind of how it went when were first played them (66-64 Trojans win on January 25) it was a roller-coaster game,” said Coach Cotto. “I'm just proud of my kids. We always say this. I don't think there is a 1A team in the state that can rebound with us. Another thing is that we knew that they (Gibault) weren't a fast-breaking team. When you play a Carrollton (a 59-38 win at Carrollton for the Carrollton 1A Regional title) you have to worry about their fast break but against Gibault we could attack the glass. We were sending five (players) to the glass because we knew that even if they got the rebound, they were going to walk the ball up the floor.”

Gibault saw its final record slip to 25-7 despite 14-points from Matt Schreder and 12-points from Nick Row.

Gibault struggled against Madison's 2-3 zone defense most of the contest and didn't create enough transition points to produce any major runs.

The Trojans took back the lead for keeps with just under four minutes left in the contest and held off the Hawks by crashing the offensive boards for six key rebounds in the fourth quarter, with none bigger than the final one.

Trailing 51-49 with :03.6 left, Madison's DiJon Bryant could have iced the game with a pair of free throws.

However the 6-foot-3 senior missed both attempts but Quincy Ware, a 6-foot-1 senior, grabbed the offensive rebound and managed to dribble out the final seconds of the Madison victory in front of a large crowd at Okawville.

Gibault had many chances to pick up the win but they didn't shoot the ball well enough, hitting just 16-of-54 shot attempts on the night in which they couldn't take advantage of their offensive rebounds (15) the way the Trojans did.

“That's too many (offensive rebounds) and it is hard to win when you give up that many rebounds,” said Coach Rueter. “We had some turnovers that led to gimme baskets. They (Madison) really don't score that well in the half-court but you give up too many baskets on turnovers or, like you said, they just put it up there (shot attempts) and then just go up and get it. You have to eliminate that (turnovers/rebounds) if you are going to beat them.”

Madison wasn't much better, hitting just 21-of-55 with just 1-of-5 from behind the 3-point line.

“My other teams in the past, I will be honest with you, this team isn't my most talented team but the other teams didn't bring their lunch pail (worked as hard) as this team,” added Coach Cotto. “These guys bring their lunch pail everyday. They work hard, they are good kids and they deserve it (success).”

The Hawks missed their first nine field goal attempts in a cold shooting first quarter that resembled a heavyweight championship fight with both teams “feeling out” the other in the first eight minutes.

The Hawks and Trojans combined for 10-turnovers and 4-of-21 shooting in the first frame, which ended at 6-3 Madison.

It took Gibault a long time to get its offense on track, but when they finally got going in the second quarter it came mostly from long range.

Schreder, a 6-foot-1 senior forward, netted his first of three treys in the second quarter as the Hawks got their first lead.

Brendan McFarland's two free throws gave Gibault a short-lived 13-12 lead at the 3:40 mark.

McFarland, a 6-foot-3 senior, scored six of his eight points in the second quarter and his basket on a lob pass from junior Zach Neff resulted in the final tie of the opening half at 17-all.

During the second quarter, Madison's Bourney started to get heated up.

Bourney scored six consecutive points for the Trojans, the last two baskets on a mid-range shot from the right wing and a drive in the lane for a 21-17 lead at intermission.

“I have told people, he (Bourney) came out of nowhere. We had a lot of scorers last year but he is a really good kid and he played his role (2011-12) and now it is his turn,” said Coach Cotto. “And he has really turned it up. He has worked with his uncle Maurice Baker (former Madison all-state player) all summer and I give Maurice a lot of credit for getting Bourney where he is today. He is such a humble kid and who ever picks him up (college) will get a steal.”

Gibault committed four more turnovers in the second quarter and trailed by four because of 5-of-29 shooting in the Arctic cold first half.

The Hawks best run of the contest came in the third quarter in which they got their offense going for the first time (7-of-11 field goal attempts) in the game in the half-court.

Coach Dennis Rueter's team went on a 13-2 run with a five of those points coming inside by 6-foot-5 senior Sam Toal and a pair of 3-pointers by Schreder and guard Mitch Meyer.

Toal scored twice in the lane, one of those buckets turned into a conventional three point play.

When Meyer nailed his 20-footer from the left wing, Madison needed a timeout at 32-27 Hawks with 2:42 remaining.

“We didn't come out with any intensity in the third quarter. We came out with intensity in the first half and I was like 'Guy's, what happened to the intensity?' But then we turned it up,” Coach Cotto explained. “We mixed up our defenses and we contained their runs.”

Bourney scored five more points in the quarter, converting a three-point play as they trailed 37-34 heading into the fourth.

While Madison continued to struggle on the offensive end (five more turnovers and ten more missed field goal attempts) the second chances continued to rack up in the Trojans' column.

Bourney, who is the nephew of former Madison standout Maurice Baker, hit the Trojans' only 3-pointer of the night from the right wing to give Coach Cotto's club back the lead for good with 3:46 left at 44-42.

Gibault had chances in the final quarter, but missed ten additional shots from the floor in the final eight minutes.

Powers hit four consecutive free throws to give Madison a 50-45 spread.

Gibault could have tied the game with :33.1 left but McFarland hit just 1-of-2 free throws and Madison's Bryant grabbed the rebound and was fouled.

His 1-of-2 charities gave Madison its final margin but it didn't secure the win.

Bryant's two missed free throws in the final moments could have proved costly had Ware not bailed the Trojans out of the fire and into the “Elite Eight” with the biggest offensive rebound of the night.

The Trojans picked up the sectional title despite hitting just 38.1 percent from the floor.

Following Bourney and Powers in scoring was 6-foot-5 junior Deontay Starnes, who picked up a pair of offensive rebound put-backs in the first quarter and six total points.

Behind Schreder, Row and McFarland, the Hawks received seven points each from Meyer and Toal as their season came to a close.

“They basically made one more play than we did. We were maybe one of two plays from winning but we didn't make the plays and they did,” said Coach Rueter. “We are hopefully back to being at that level (postseason success).”

Madison will face Payson-Seymour, a 50-43 winner over Mendon Unity in the title game of the Brown County Sectional, on Tuesday night at the Jacksonville Supersectional.

The Trojans have played in two previous Jacksonville Supersectional's, losing to Lewistown in 2008 while winning the 2010 super over Lewistown in a rematch.

“I give Coach Rueter credit, he is such a good coach and I have been watching him for years,” finalized Coach Cotto. “To beat him in a sectional final is a dream. When I first started (coaching) in this area and going against a Hall of Famer like Coach Rueter was just an honor.”