The score is tied. The clock is winding down, and your team needs a basket. Which senior in the area would you want with the ball in his hands?
That wasn’t the situation Monday in Aurora, where No. 5 Waubonsie Valley had things mostly under control at the end of its 57-53 victory against No. 17 Kankakee. But watching Warriors senior Tyreek Coleman break down the Kays’ defense multiple times in the half-court setting, it is easy to see why he would be the top choice for many in those clutch, end-of-game situations.
Coleman, an Illinois State recruit, finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds against Kankakee. Waubonsie Valley has two more games, including a crucial conference matchup Friday at DeKalb, but everyone’s thoughts have started to turn to the state playoffs.
‘‘It’s bittersweet now,’’ Coleman said. ‘‘This is the end of my high school career. But I’m also definitely excited about this playoff run. We have the guys to make a statement. I’m going in with 100% confidence that we can win this whole thing.’’
The Warriors (28-1) were one of the top defensive teams in the state last season. They haven’t hit those heights this season, but they aren’t far behind. The Kays (24-3) managed only a handful of open shots.
‘‘We were really crisp on Saturday [in a victory against Warren],’’ Waubonsie Valley coach Andrew Schweitzer said. ‘‘Today we were mediocre. Some of that is a credit to Kankakee. But that makes me excited when you can still beat a really good team.’’
Eli Stipp didn’t play for the Kays. The 6-7 senior sat out after being thrown out of Kankakee’s last game for taunting. The Kays don’t have a suitable replacement and were outrebounded 35-19.
Rebounding has been a key focus for the Warriors since their loss to Marist in late January. It showed against Kankakee.
‘‘We’d work hard on a 20- [to] 30-second defensive stretch and then would give up offensive rebounds,’’ Coleman said. ‘‘That ended up costing us against Marist. It was, like, 14 points they scored on offensive boards.’’
Senior Moses Wilson added nine points and five rebounds, Josh Tinney eight points and seven rebounds and 6-7 senior Cade Valek six points and eight rebounds for Waubonsie Valley.
Kankakee’s Lincoln Williams, one of the top juniors in the state, left the game late in the first quarter with a minor injury. He came back in the second quarter but wasn’t at full strength and finished with eight points and four rebounds. Junior Myair Thompson led the Kays with 20 points.
‘‘When it is two good teams, it is always the small things that matter,’’ Kankakee coach Chris Pickett said. ‘‘They were perfect from the foul line until the end, and they outrebounded us.’’
The Warriors are the No. 2 seed in the Class 4A Benet Sectional. Their path to a sectional title is one of the toughest in the state. They might have to beat the Redwings on their home court, then deal with No. 1 seed Bolingbrook.
‘‘Obviously, there has been a lot of chatter about our strength of schedule,’’ Schweitzer said. ‘‘But [Warren and Kankakee] are two big wins for us. We also beat Normal and Stevenson, which is one of the hottest teams in the state right now. So I’m very encouraged.’’
The Kays are the No. 1 seed in one of the Class 3A Washington subsectionals. They also have a difficult path to the sectional title, with Metamora and Peoria looming in a potential semifinal and sectional final.
‘‘I’m feeling good about this group,’’ Pickett said. ‘‘All of our losses are to ranked Class 4A teams. That could matter or it could not matter. Fortunately, we don’t have to play them in the state playoffs.’’