Amazing come-from-behind win sends RLC Warriors to NJCAA Final Four

DANVILLE, Ill. (March 20, 2013) – Momentum.

]While watching the Rend Lake College Warriors get behind South Suburban College in the national basketball championship quarterfinals Wednesday night, there was a feeling they could still swing it. Too good a team to go quietly against the Bulldogs program-turned rival over the span of a year, there was still a fixed hope things would change. But it was double-digits by the half. Then 20 points. Things seemed to be getting away from the Warriors in a hurry.

But then it happened. A couple of stops here. A turnover there. Still enough time. The momentum had turned and Rend Lake had dug itself out. It found itself with the ball and a chance to hit a last-second long shot to win. Sophomore guard Dawson Verhines (Woodlawn) caught the inbound pass, launched a half-court laser over two defenders, and it rimmed out. It was perhaps the greatest comeback in RLC sports history already, and the Warriors hadn’t won anything.

Overtime.

RLC went on the attack, taking advantage of South Suburban players who had picked up four fouls in regulation. It worked. Two Bulldogs fouled out by way of Warriors slashing into the lane off the dribble. South Suburban’s coach went to a player on the bench who had four fouls. Within two or three possessions he had fouled out. RLC’s plan was working, but it was still down. Players kept fighting on defense, going hard for loose balls and working for good shots. A couple of costly turnovers and a foul by the Bulldogs put the hammer in Rend Lake’s hand with Jeril Taylor holding the last nail. The spindly, 6-4 freshman from Louisville, Ky., had hit key shots throughout the game – three from long range and a team-high 19 points. It was fitting he was the one called to close.

Taylor stepped to the line with five seconds left. The rest of his team had pulled out to the other end of the floor to put up one last defensive stand. Without hesitation, he made the first. It looked more like he was shooting in the first five seconds of the game than the last five seconds of overtime. His second shot found nothing but net in the same fashion. South Suburban pushed the ball down the floor, passed to a man in the corner and got off one last shot. However, RLC big man Bronson Verhines (Woodlawn) blocked the ball farther out of bounds than it had travelled from the shooter’s hand.

The block ended the game and sends a roused Rend Lake team into the national semifinals. The #4 seeded Warriors (28-3) play at 6 p.m., Friday, against #8 Owens Community College of Ohio (26-8). Listen live at Q106.3FM and watch a live stream at www.ihigh.com/njcaatv.

The Warriors’ 98-75 win over Cecil College on Tuesday was the first men’s basketball national tournament win in RLC school history. Tonight’s incredible 85-83 overtime victory is the second.

For all things athletic at The Lake, visit RLC online at www.rlc.edu/warriors.

BOX SCORE

Date: 3/20/2013 Arena: Mary Miller

Time: 8:00 pm City, State: Danville, IL

VISITOR: South Suburban (83 OT)

TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS

NO PLAYER P FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OFF DEF TOT PF TP A TO BK S MIN

21 Thorton, Kadeem * 4 8 0 0 0 0 2 5 7 3 8 2 1 0 1 38-

23 Harris, Michael * 9 24 6 13 0 1 2 2 4 2 24 1 5 0 1 44+

24 Walker, Bryce * 9 20 4 11 3 3 2 5 7 0 25 8 2 0 0 44-

30 Lee, Michael * 4 8 1 3 2 2 1 3 4 5 11 2 5 0 2 32+

32 Beard, Stefan * 2 5 0 1 1 5 2 0 2 4 5 1 1 1 0 18-

10 Strickland, Anthony 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 5 1 1 1 0 0 11-

34 Hopkins, Marius 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1-

41 Davis, Henry 3 5 0 0 1 4 2 5 7 1 7 1 0 0 0 14-

55 Shofidiya, Rasheed 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 2 0 1 1 0 24+

TEAM REBOUNDS 0 0 0 0

Team Totals 32 74 11 28 8 17 11 21 32 23 83 16 17 2 4 225

 

Total FG% – 1st: 15/35 0.429 2nd and OTs: 17/39 0.436 Game: 0.432 Deadball

3-PT FG% – 1st: 6/15 0.400 2nd and OTs: 5/13 0.385 Game: 0.393 Rebounds

Total FT% – 1st: 1/2 0.500 2nd and OTs: 7/15 0.467 Game: 0.471 (5,7)

 

HOME: Rend Lake College (85 OT)

TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS

NO PLAYER P FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OFF DEF TOT PF TP A TO BK S MIN

10 Ayala, Corey * 2 10 1 2 2 2 4 3 7 1 7 4 4 0 0 31+

21 Allen, Noel * 4 5 0 0 2 4 5 5 10 1 10 1 3 2 1 28-

24 Verhines, Dawson * 3 13 0 7 2 2 1 1 2 2 8 5 3 1 2 38+

30 Macklin, Cortez * 6 14 0 5 4 4 0 4 4 2 16 0 1 0 1 33+

42 Verhines, Bronson * 6 8 0 0 1 4 5 8 13 3 13 3 2 3 1 38+

5 Whaley, Trice 3 5 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 1 6 0 0 0 1 9+

00 Williams, Montez 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 7-

20 Bryant, Stephon 2 6 1 2 0 0 1 1 2 0 5 0 1 0 1 5+

22 Taylor, Jeril 6 17 3 10 4 5 0 7 7 4 19 1 1 0 0 30-

32 Buford, Montez 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4-

34 Singletary, Alonzo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1+

TEAM REBOUNDS 0 0 0 0

Team Totals 32 79 5 26 16 23 19 31 50 15 85 14 16 6 7 225

 

Total FG% – 1st: 10/31 0.323 2nd and OTs: 22/48 0.458 Game: 0.405 Deadball

3-PT FG% – 1st: 1/10 0.100 2nd and OTs: 4/16 0.250 Game: 0.192 Rebounds

Total FT% – 1st: 3/7 0.429 2nd and OTs: 13/16 0.813 Game: 0.696 (7,4)

 

Technical Fouls: SS (0)

: RLC (0)

 

 

ENHANCED SCORING FstBrk OffTov Paint 2ndCh Bench

South Suburban 0 16 26 11 10

Rend Lake College 0 19 50 21 31

 

SCORE BY PERIODS 1st 2nd OT1 TOTAL

South Suburban 37 38 8 83

Rend Lake College 24 51 10 85

 

SHOT CHART

 

South Suburban	FG	FGA	PCT	3P	3PA	PCT	FT	FTA	PCT	ORB	DRB	TRB	PF	A	TO	BK	ST	PTS
1st	15	35	42.9	6	15	40.0	1	2	50.0	3	11	14	10	7	6	1	2	37
2nd	14	27	51.9	3	8	37.5	7	13	53.8	4	7	11	8	7	11	0	2	38
OT1	3	12	25.0	2	5	40.0	0	2	0.0	4	3	7	5	2	0	1	0	8
	32	74	43.2	11	28	39.3	8	17	47.1	11	21	32	23	16	17	2	4	83
Rend Lake	FG	FGA	PCT	3P	3PA	PCT	FT	FTA	PCT	ORB	DRB	TRB	PF	A	TO	BK	ST	PTS
1st	10	31	32.3	1	10	10.0	3	7	42.9	4	15	19	4	4	9	4	3	24
2nd	21	43	48.8	4	14	28.6	5	6	83.3	13	11	24	10	9	7	1	4	51
OT1	1	5	20.0	0	2	0.0	8	10	80.0	2	5	7	1	1	0	1	0	10
	32	79	40.5	5	26	19.2	16	23	69.6	19	31	50	15	14	16	6	7	85

 

SCORE BY PERIODS	1st	2nd	OT1	TOTAL
South Suburban	37	38	8	83
Rend Lake College	24	51	10	85