1A Indian Creek Regional: Cold-shooting Somonauk falls to Pecatonica in championship

SHABBONA – This is the time of year that just a slip here and there is all it takes to have an otherwise remarkable season come to an end.

In a packed Indian Creek High School “Wolves Den” gym teeming with an intensity that would rival a supersectional contest, the Somonauk Bobcats had dodged one major cold-shooting bullet to hold on to a narrow lead on Pecatonica at halftime of the Class 1A Indian Creek Regional championship game.

However, Somonauk couldn’t survived a second drought in the fourth, and that – coupled with a slip of a shot, a slip of a pass, a slip of the tongue – left the Bobcats with a 54-47 season-ending loss to Pecatonica.

Despite making just 2 of 16 shots in the second quarter and 2 of 11 free throws in the half, No. 2-seeded Somonauk held a 20-18 lead on an Alex Krejci tip-in in the closing seconds. Then, behind nine points from Krejci, it rolled out to an 11-point lead midway through the third quarter.

But five straight free throws on two fouls and an ill-timed technical foul started the Indians on an 18-3 surge that gave the No. 3 seed life. Pecatonica then made enough free throws down the stretch to take advantage of Somonauk’s chilly 1-for-11 shooting from the field in the final period for the win.

It gives Pecatonica (27-7) a spot in its own sectional Monday against No. 1-seeded Scales Mound.

Krejci finished with game-bests of 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Bobcats, who shot a dismal 28.3% (15-of-53) from the field and an even more troubling 51% (12-of-23) from the free throw line in finishing the season 26-7.

The loss was Somonauk’s first since Dec. 27, snapping a 19-game win streak.

“We try to preach and work a lot on regulating emotions. We play an emotional style, and this is an emotional game both ways, and sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t,” Somonauk coach Curt Alsvig said.

“Something we’ve struggled with all season – fouls and free throws – and tonight you could really see it. There was that [emotional] regulation, the free-throw shooting, the foul trouble and a [30-year regional] title drought hanging over our heads. Unfortunately, we couldn’t overcome them.

“I’m sure for a fan, this was a great game to watch, and we knew it was going to be a tough one. Pecatonica’s a good team, but we’re pretty tough too.

“We thank all our seniors for what they’ve done for the program. I’m just sorry we couldn’t get to the next step for them.”

A pair of Krejci 3s helped the Bobcats get out to a 14-8 lead after one period, but while their shooting doldrums started adding up in the second, so did Pecatonica’s turnovers. Eight miscues in the quarter allowed the locals to stay close.

In the third quarter, three straight Krejci deuces opened up a 26-19 Bobcats edge, a margin that expanded to 34-23 on back-to-back 3s by Krejci and Brock Zimmerman, the latter with 3:31 left in the period.

But less than 30 seconds later, the Indians’ Trent Hetland was fouled, and a Somonauk player was called for a technical for protesting. Hetland made one toss, Korbin Gann made both tech tosses and, with the ball, Hetland was fouled again and made both tries. After a Somonauk miss, Bo Seaton drained a 3 to suddenly make it a one-possession game.

The Indians rally continued into the fourth, when eventually another Seaton 3-ball gave them the lead. Later, Hetland scored on the break to widen it to 41-37.

Three tosses by Brendan Roberts got Somonauk the lead back briefly (42-41), but Pecatonica netted nine of the next 11 points. The locals were a combined 3-for-27 in the second and fourth quarters combined.

“We hang our hat on defense and have for the last four years. That’s what gives us the opportunity to win games,” Pecatonica coach Bobby Heisler said. “We knew our kids had a lot of fight in them and they weren’t going to go away, so while I was concerned that we went down 11, it was still early in the third.

“The kids fought back and played well.”