Boys basketball: Heald rains 3s, scores 33 as Rock Falls tops Hinsdale South in overtime thriller at Sterling MLK Classic

STERLING – The Rock Falls Rockets were sitting comfortably at the start of the fourth quarter, leading the Hinsdale South Hornets by 16 points Monday afternoon in the fourth game of the MLK Classic at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

But after a 38-point third quarter by the Hornets, the teams went into overtime.

In the end, the Rockets had the answer, and led for most of the extra period for a 91-88 victory.

[ Photos of Rock Falls vs. Hinsdale South boys basketball at the Sterling MLK Classic ]

A Kuitim Heald left-wing 3 gave the Rockets a three-point lead with 3:15 to go in OT, then he made two free throws with just under a minute left to stretch it to four points. Gavin Sands hit the first of two free throws as 26.8 seconds remained, and the Rock Falls lead went back to three points, 91-88.

“I wasn’t really nervous because we’ve been working on free throws all the time,” Rock Falls senior forward Chevy Bates said. “We didn’t miss a lot of free throws down the stretch, so we just had to play defense.”

With 14.2 seconds remaining, Hinsdale South committed a traveling violation. But just as it appeared to be beaten, it stole away the Rockets’ next possession. The Hornets put a shot up, got the offensive rebound, then kicked it out to Nate Marcopulos for a top-of-the-key 3.

The shot clanked off the front of the rim, then bounced onto the floor, sealing Rock Falls’ victory.

“Just the energy off the bench. It was super crazy there in overtime, but the bench got me through it,” Heald said. “Timeouts, Coach [Zach Sandrock] calming us down during timeouts just helped so much.”

Heald started the game red-hot, sinking three of his game-high eight 3s and totaling 11 points in the first quarter. The 6-foot-1 sophomore guard got the hoop in the first minute to open the scoring, then hit a left-wing 3 off an Aydan Goff drive-and-kick for a seven-point lead, before hitting another left-wing 3 off a Goff inbounds pass less than a minute later.

Heald’s third 3 of the first quarter – also from the left wing – came off a Sands offensive rebound and kick out, and put Rock Falls ahead 20-4.

“I usually feel confident every game. It’s just a matter of moving the ball as a team and just feeling confident with myself,” Heald said. “As soon as I hit one 3-pointer, I’m confident and the ball keeps passing to me.”

Sands hit a finger-roll off his own offensive rebound just under the two-minute mark, then hit a dribble pull-up just outside the free-throw line for a 24-5 lead with 1:09 left.

The Rockets took a 24-8 lead into the second quarter.

“We did a good job in transition, we pushed the ball, didn’t allow them to set up in their defense, and we knocked down shots,” Sandrock said of the fast start. ”We shoot a much higher percentage when we get about five passes in, instead of one or two passes and then chuck a 3. And I thought we did a good job in that first quarter of getting deep into the possession, getting an open shot, and then shooting a high percentage shot out of it.”

Goff opened the second quarter with a left-wing 3 off a Sands swing pass to go up 27-8 with 6:25 left, and Devonte Knight converted an and-1 for a 30-10 lead just 37 seconds later.

Over the next 5:48, Rock Falls continued to roll.

Sands nailed a right-corner 3, pushing the margin to 39-21 in the final minute of the half, then Bates hit a free throw and Goff hit two free throws with no time remaining to go up 42-21 at halftime.

“We got hyped in the locker room. We were able to come out hot,” Bates said. “Today, we came out hot all day. It’s what we needed; it’s what we’ve been working on in practice, trying to get hot quick.”

At the end of the third quarter, the Hornets started to rally.

Goff hit a left-wing 3 with 11 seconds left to make it 60-41 Rock Falls, but Elijah Fields answered with a left-wing 3 of his own, pulling the Hornets within 16 in the final seconds.

In the fourth quarter, Hinsdale South turned up the defensive pressure – with great effect. With full-court pressure and on-ball double teams, the Hornets forced turnover after turnover and scored repeatedly on the fast break, outscoring Rock Falls 38-22 in the quarter.

“We let up, acted like we were gonna win the whole thing. Didn’t play enough defense,” Heald said. “And they were just hitting open shots, no good defensive rotations, anything.”

Marcopulos hit a top-of-the-key 3 to cut the deficit to 81-80 with 49 seconds left, then Sands made it a two-point game with a free throw, but the Hornets got a layup to fall in the last three seconds to tie the game at 82 at the end of regulation.

Heald scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, and went 7 for 8 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and overtime period combined.

“Timmy got open. He looked to get open, he looked to create for others, and that created for himself, too,” Sandrock said. “When you shoot a high percentage and you’re getting open a lot and guys are making the passes, you’re gonna score a lot of points, and that’s what Timmy did tonight.”

“He came up very big for us. He was able to hit a lot of 3s today,” Bates added. “What, eight 3s? I like it. He hit a lot of 3s, and we needed them.”

All five Rock Falls starters scored in double figures, as Heald led with 33 points, with 8 for 11 shooting on 3s, to go with five assists, four rebounds and two steals; Goff totaled 17 points, with 4 for 7 shooting on 3s, with six rebounds and six assists; Bates tallied 14 points and seven rebounds; Sands racked up 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists; and Diego Hernandez added 11 points.

Ayden Farrare and Matt Rudolph led Hinsdale South with 16 points apiece, Jack Weigus scored 12 points, and Brendan Savage, Chris Bolte and Matas Peczulis added 10 points each.