Bounce-back game for G-K's Baumgarten

GENOA – Bryan Baumgarten's fist pumps and shouts after each shot he made in the second quarter showed how much this game meant, especially on a personal level.

"I had to bounce back from the last game," Baumgarten said.

The Genoa-Kingston senior, who scored only two points in Friday's regional championship game against Westminster Christian, bounced back in a big way Tuesday night.

Baumgarten scored a game-high 32 points, helping the Cogs to a 62-49 win against Rock Falls in front of their home fans. G-K advanced to the Class 2A Genoa-Kingston Sectional championship game on Friday against the winner of today's game between Byron and Rockford Christian.

"It was unbelievable. This is exactly how I wanted it," Baumgarten said. "In front of these fans. I mean, I'm speechless."

More important than Baumgarten's points were how they came. He finished 15 of 18 from the free-throw line and made his last 11 foul shots down the stretch when the Rockets kept sending him to the line.

Free-throw shooting plagued G-K (14-15) for much of the regular season. It was the Cogs' key to victory Tuesday night.

"He was huge, huge at the line," G-K coach Corey Jenkins said. "He stepped up to the free throw line and knocked down some pretty big ones. You know, I'm pretty proud of him."

G-K's experienced prevailed by game's end, but its nervous were on display in the first quarter.

The Cogs were held scoreless until senior guard Bret Lucca made a shot in the lane from about 12 feet with 1:06 left in the first quarter. G-K missed its first six shots, including one from each starter, and had three turnovers during that stretch.

"We just needed a shot to drop," Jenkins said. "Once we got one to go, Bret in the lane with that floater, we kind of jumped on board. ... It was an instant change. Once that first shot dropped, everybody kind of revved up and away we went."

Baumgarten scored his first nine points in the second quarter, helping ignite a 23-point period for the Cogs. Lucca, a fellow senior, added 13 point, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

After the game was over, G-K's orange-clad student section, the fans, many of whom showed up an hour before tipoff, rushed the court after the game. Knowing his team will have the chance to again play in front of the home crowd Friday, Jenkins said he's happy to have the home court advantage.

"Our student section and our fans were unbelievable. Unbelievable," Jenkins said. "They were huge. If you can't get up for a game in this atmosphere, you're here for the wrong reasons.