Illini Bluffs edges Mount Pulaski on Senior Night 60-58

[February 21, 2015]  MOUNT PULASKI - It was Senior Night in Mount Pulaski and you cannot say these seniors didn't give it their best shot. Playing for the last time Friday night at the Ed Butkovich Gymnasium, five seniors made up the starting line-up: Aaron Durchholz, Beau Collier, Blake Collier, Michael Lowery and Matt Amidon. The latter four combined for 52 points, of which Beau Collier had 26 alone, yet they fell in the final seconds 60-58 to Illini Bluffs.

It was an exciting game for the purple and gold from start to finish, with Beau Collier connecting for a three and tying the game at 58-58 with 6.5 seconds remaining. George Foust would break the Toppers hearts, though, as he dribbled full-court and around the defenders, right to the basket for a layup that left .3 seconds on the clock. As the Toppers inbounded the ball from beneath the visitor's basket, Michael Lowery threw a perfect full-court baseball pass right towards Matt Amidon standing under the Toppers basket. It was right on target but two Illini Bluffs defenders jumped into the air and tipped it just long enough for time to expire. However, the ball did fall into the hands of Amidon and he tried desperately to tip the ball backwards towards the basket as the buzzer sounded.

Despite the loss, Coach Ryan Deibert felt this was the kind of game his players needed going into Regionals next week. "Win or lose, we needed a game like this, one where we were pushed to the very end."

Illini Bluffs carried a 21-5 record into Mount Pulaski Friday night and they certainly proved to be a good test for the Toppers.

The Toppers, despite a 15-11 record now, have really peaked late in the season and Beau Collier has consistently led the team, not just in points, but leadership on the court as well.

Beau Collier opened the scoring in the game with a three but a rather sluggish first quarter by both teams resulted in lots of missed shots and at the end of one Illini Bluffs was on top 11-9.

Lowery would finally give the Toppers a 16-15 lead on his trey in the second quarter, but the score continued to bounce back and forth between the two teams. Beau Collier notched another three at the 1:57 mark and that tied the game at 23-23. A few more missed opportunities by the Toppers allowed Illini Bluffs to take advantage and the Tigers held the 27-23 edge at the half.

Illini Bluffs continued to be on a roll to start the third quarter and jumped out to a 36-29 lead on threes by Foust and Chet Merritt. Beau Collier led the Toppers charge and his two jumpers in the lane were good for four more points and just a 36-33 deficit. Following a miss by Illini Bluffs, Amidon was able to take control and his layup was good and the Topper fans once again were beginning to get fired up with the team just trailing 36-35. Illini Bluffs possesses some of the best outside shooters Mount Pulaski has faced this season and they continued to control the game with a narrow 38-37 lead. But Beau Collier just wouldn't give up in this one. His steal with 1:20 on the clock in the third put Mount Pulaski up 39-38. His brother Blake would also get a little senior night spotlight and drive the baseline and lay it in for the 41-41 tie with 40 seconds to play in the third quarter. Illini Bluffs would end the third quarter on a bucket, though and the 43-41 lead was all Tigers.

That all Tigers theme carried over into the start of the fourth quarter and allowed the Tigers to go on a 9-0 run and leave Mount Pulaski in the hole 52-41. The Collier twins and Amidon combined for ten points at this point and dug the Toppers out of the hole a little bit as the score rested at 55-51 around the 3:00 minute mark.

Amidon kept fighting his way hard to the basket on the Toppers next possession and he was fouled. He made the first free throw and missed the second, but the Toppers were able to get the rebound from Amidon's second free throw and quickly get the ball into Beau Collier's hands. Collier promptly put the ball in the air for yet another three and the gymnasium erupted as the score was tied 55-55, with just less than two minutes to play.

Logan Webb of Illini Bluffs would get fouled by Mount Pulaski's Dalton Litterly with 49.8 seconds and he would sink the two free throws for yet another Tigers lead, 57-55. Following a miss by Brett Huff, Blake Collier fouled Taylor Bruninga and he would make one free throw to give Illini Bluffs a 58-55 edge. With four seniors still on the court in the final seconds one could almost predict that the ball somehow would end up in the hot hands of Beau Collier. And it did. His three with 6.5 seconds tied the game at 58-58 and this time the crowd rose to its feet and a thunderous applause ensued.
 

Beau Collier was having the Senior Night of his life with a career high of 26 points. But in those final few seconds, George Foust would dribble full-court and just lay it in as the Toppers stood in disbelief. They had no fouls to give and no way to stop the senior from Illini Bluffs. He put his team ahead 60-58 and that was the final score as Amidon sat on the court in frustration as he failed to make a miracle happen in .3 seconds.

This was a tough one to lose on Senior Night, especially for Amidon, Lowery and the Collier twins. They have been playing basketball together in Mount Pulaski since third grade and they really wanted to win.

However, the Toppers can look ahead to Regionals next week as they have earned a no. 2 seed and take the court in Mason City against the no. 7 seed Illini Central Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m.

In addition to the Senior Night ceremony Friday night that honored the band, basketball players and cheerleaders; there was a special recognition of the 1965 Hilltoppers. There will be a full story on that team coming Monday.

Hilltopper scoring:

Beau Collier 26
Matt Amidon 10
Mike Lowery 9
Blake Collier 7
Peyton Taylor 4
Dalton Litterly 2

[Teena Lowery]