Regionals up next after tough end to season

CARLINVILLE – The Vandals closed the regular season last Friday with another disappointing loss, leaving them at 1-5 in the final six games.
Coach Brian Buscher said after a 69-63 South Central Conference loss at Carlinville that despite the poor record – and at times, poor play – he wouldn’t change the way the year ended.
“It’s been up and down,” the first-year coach said. “There have been a lot of good things and a lot of bad things that have come out of the last six games, and I wouldn’t change them for the world.
“There are great basketball and life lessons to be learned,” he said. “If you make bad decisions in basketball, it will hurt, and that also goes for life.”
The No. 2 Vandals (14-12, 5-4 SCC) were looking to extend their season on Wednesday night, battling the sixth-seeded hosts of the Hillsboro Regional for the right to play in Friday’s regional championship game.
Full coverage of that game will be available on Thursday at www.leaderunion.com.
“Hillsboro has a nice big kid, and I don’t know who (in the conference) can stop him, except maybe Roxana,” Buscher said. “We have to worry about us and play our game for most of the 32 minutes.
“If we don’t and start making bad decisions, a team like Hillsboro can come up and knock us off.”
On Dec. 11, Vandalia defeated Hillsboro, 56-34.
Against the Cavaliers, the Vandals forced too many shots in the first half, missing seven 3-pointers and making just 31.8 percent (7-22) of their field goals to allow Carlinville to take a 42-23 halftime lead.
The 42 points were seven more than the Vandals had allowed in any first half this season, as the Cavaliers (18-11, 6-3 SCC) made 65.4 percent (17-26) of their field goals, including six of their first eight attempts.
“The bad possessions offensively and the bad possessions defensively snowballed on us,” Buscher said. “We talked all game and in pregame about having good possessions.
“(The Cavaliers) were hitting everything, but that’s the way that goes,” he said. “When you take bad shots offensively, the other team is going to hit everything to make you pay.”
Sophomore Jake Bowen, Luke Hollinshead and Collin Nestleroad each saw extended minutes in the second quarter as Buscher tried to make a change that would spark his senior starters.
It seemed to have worked, as the Vandals came out in the third quarter and held Carlinville to just nine points, while scoring 16 of their own on seven field goals and two free throws.
“The sophomores came in the second quarter and played their rear ends off,” Buscher said. “The seniors stepped it up in the second half, and eventually we got Carlinville on the ropes.”
But because the Vandals were facing a 51-39 deficit going into the final eight minutes, Carlinville never had too much concern walking on the ropes, as Vandalia never cut the lead to less than six points.
The offense did look impressive at times in that period, scoring 24 points to mark the eighth time it has scored at least 20 points in a fourth quarter this season.
Included was a 7-0 run from seniors Leyton Godoyo and Aaron Harter, who each led the team in scoring with 21 points, over 42-second span in the final two minutes of the game.
The Cavaliers made just 64 percent of their free throws in the game, which was their senior night, but because the Vandals still had a deficit to make up late in the game, they were unable to intentionally foul until very late in the game.
“The tempo of the game was in our favor, and we needed extra possessions,” Buscher said. “The way it was going, we had to get more possessions by creating turnovers.”
Friday, Feb. 15
Carlinville 69
Vandalia 63
V: 7-16-16-24—63
C: 22-20-7-18—69
Points: Godoyo, 21; Harter, 21; Michael Wells, 8; Wade Cowger, 4; Colton Woolsey, 4; Hollinshead, 2; Chase Woolsey, 2; Bowen, 1.
Rebounds: Co. Woolsey, 10; Harter, 6; Wells, 5; Nestleroad, 4; Godoyo, 2; Ch. Woolsey, 2; Team, 2; Bowen, 1; Hollinshead, 1.
Assists: Godoyo, 5; Harter, 3; Nestleroad, 2; Wells, 1; Co. Woolsey, 1.
Steals: Godoyo, 3; Wells, 2; Bowen, 1; Nestleroad, 1; Ch. Woolsey, 1.
Record: 14-12 (5-4 SCC)