03-08-11
BY JACK BULLOCK
WEST FRANKFORT – On Tuesday night at the West Frankfort Class 2A Supersectional – the Murphysboro Red Devils proved that they don't have to score a lot of points to be successful.

Holding the other team to 34-points works out just fine.

Using a overall rebounding edge and exploiting their overall quickness advantage – Coach Daryl Murphy's top-ranked ABV Deep South team and number one ranked state-wide Class 2A club “grinded out” a 41-34 win to stay unbeaten and improve to 34-0 on the season.

And much more importantly the school will make its first state finals appearance in the school's history on Friday night at Carver Arena in Peoria after winning a rematch of last season's Supersectional which was won by Breese Central.

“This is the happiest day of my life and I'm sure it is for the fans and this community,” said Coach Murphy. “It has been such a ride. And we have had some great teams at Murphysboro but we never could get over the hump. Last year we just got beat by a better team. We knew this year we had a shot.”

Jerrod Gaston – Murphysboro's 6-foot-2 senior guard – sparked the Devils in the Super with a “Super” performance.

Gaston scored a game-best 16-points and grabbed a team-high 11-rebounds.

But his three assists to his teammates may have been even more important.

Three different times his cohorts nailed open shots after the Breese Central defense tried to double-team Gaston.

Both Orlando Jarrett and Dylan Craig were benefactors from the Gaston gifts – as both of those seniors nailed 3-point shots to close out the third quarter.

By the time Craig took a pass from Gaston to can a 20-footer from the right corner – Murphysboro led 31-20 at the end of three quarters.

“I have been dreaming of this day for a year. When we won the sectional championship I was hoping it was Breese Central. I was like 'I want Breese, I want Breese' and we got'em,” said Gaston – whose team lost to Central at West Frankfort last year in the Super. “But credit them. That is a great team over there. They play great defense. They are really, really good. I'm so happy right now.”

Central (30-3) made a comeback in the fourth quarter but the Cougars couldn't overcome a poor shooting night all around.

Coach Stan Eagleson's team finished just 10-of-46 from the field in the contest and were a not so good 11-of-22 from the free throw line.

Those sort of numbers doomed this team that was trying to make its fifth trip to Peoria in the last eight years under this coach.

“In the last two and a half minutes of the game they just executed better than we did,” said Coach Eagleson. “We cut it to two but we just couldn't get it to Book late. When you look at how we shot from the field and the foul line we were lucky to be as close as we were.”

Following Gaston's incredible night – teammate Craig was the only other double-figures producer with 11.

Central – who didn't have a player in double-digits – was paced by 6-foot-6 junior Brandon Book and 6-foot-3 senior Blake Norrenberns with nine points each.

The Cougars appeared to be ready to capitalize on Murphysboro's inability to close out the game when Nick Grapperhaus scored on a fast break lay in while being fouled by Murphysboro's Pierre House with just 1:18 remaining.

The conventional three-point play cut the Central deficit to just 36-34.

However Murphysboro closed the book on the Cougars by making 4-of-6 free throws in the final 1:06 to seal the victory in front of a school-estimated 5,000 fans at Max Morris Gymnasium.

“Give Murphysboro credit. Offensively they did a tremendous job on the boards and they executed,” added Coach Eagleson. “They just did a better job on the offensive end of the floor.”

Central committed four costly turnovers in the final stanza and missed a pair of 3-point shots in the closing minute as their season came to an end one game short of the Final Four.

From the outset the tone for a rough and tumble defensive struggle was setup by two teams that were defensively ready.

Not only did Breese Central shoot poorly because of the “D” put up by Murphysboro – the Red Devils also faced a “brick wall” from the Cougars.

Murphy was just 14-of-50 from the field (28 percent) in the triumph and they managed to connect on only 10-of-22 shots from the foul line.

An 8-0 run by Coach Murphy's club erased an early 4-0 lead by Central.

House, Gaston, Eben Brooks and Craig all scored in succession as the Red Devils led 8-4 following a Central timeout at 3:09 left in the first quarter.

Central was just 3-of-10 in that opening frame and the shooting never got on track for Coach Eagleson's team.

“I thought early in the game we were just too content to settle for the outside shot in the first quarter and midway through the second quarter,” added Coach Eagleson. “We shot too many shots from the perimeter and not enough inside to Book.”

Central's final lead of the contest came in the second quarter following a pair of baskets that resulted from Book assists.

Book found a pair of teammates for scores in the lane to give Central a 10-9 lead with 5:09 remaining.

Both Norrenberns and Alex Timmermann got passes near the basket for open lay ups and easy points.

Murphysboro quickly got the lead back as Gaston nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the arc and then drove down the left sided of the lane for a score and a 14-10 lead.

Murphysboro's Jordan Stanton closed out the half with a pair of free throws to push the advantage to a mundane 16-10 lead at intermission.

Central appeared to be headed for a comeback victory with a run in the third quarter that got the Cougars back even with the Devils.

Book scored seven of his points in the third quarter and his 3-pointer off of a screen at the top of the key got the game tied at 18-points.

However the free throw shooting – especially in the third period – doomed Central.

The Cougars managed to make just 3-of-10 from the charity stripe.

That inability to cash in on easy opportunities and Murphysboro's ability to spread the floor and score off of Gaston passes – put the Cougars into too big of a hole to climb out of.

Two huge plays by Murphysboro's Brooks and House gave the Red Devils back the lead for keeps.

After Breese Central's Keaton Scheer grabbed a defensive rebound – Brooks stole the ball from the Cougar and laid in a short jumper to make it 22-18 Devils.

House – a 6-foot-1 junior guard – scored just five points on the night before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

But his conventional three-point play after grabbing a rebound in the paint while being fouled by Book made it 25-18 at the 3:17 mark. The ball banked and then hung on the rim before falling through the net.

Central would score just two more field goals from that point on as its season came to a close.

The Red Devils were “All-Windex” as they cleaned the glass with a 37-24 rebounding advantage with 10 offensive rebounds.

“We were worried about the offensive rebounds before the game and that was the number one key and they got ten offensive rebounds,” said Coach Eagleson. “We just couldn't keep them (Murphysboro) off the offensive boards. And that got us into a little bit of foul trouble.”

Murphysboro will now face Pittsfield on Friday night at Carver Arena.

The Saukees upset Teutopolis to win the Springfield Class 2A Supersectional.

“This team hasn't talked about anything since last June except Peoria. We didn't talk about winning the conference or a regional or sectional. And we know all of those things come first but we have reached that goal,” added Coach Murphy. “We have senior leadership and we have been through the battles. It showed late in this game. We showed composure and we kept doing what we needed to do.”