Central uses right reaction to challenge to fuel charge that ends with regional championship

AUGUSTA, Ill. — With missed shots piling up and the loss of a halftime lead, the Camp Point Central boys basketball team needed to hit the reset button.

Midway through the third quarter, Central coach James Barnett called a timeout and didn’t use the friendliest voice his team has heard this season in delivering his message.

“The huddle was essentially calling them out, telling them that was about the worst two minutes or three minutes, or whatever it was, that we could have started the half with,” Barnett said.

The message came through loud and clear.

Despite missing its first eight field-goal attempts of the second half and watching its five-point advantage turn into a one-point deficit, Central rebounded by going on a 9-2 run to end the third quarter and defeated Delavan 46-32 on Friday to win the Class 1A Southeastern Regional championship. 

Central (24-8) will face Peoria Heights at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Abingdon-Avon Sectional. The Patriots upset top-seed Princeville 59-54 in the Brimfield Regional to secure their first postseason trophy in 14 seasons.

Central has won consecutive regionals for the first time since 2011.

“That’s a really big deal for the community and that’s a big deal for the basketball program,” Central senior forward Gavin Blewett said. 

Central re-established its good fortunes by turning up the dial on defense. Central held Delavan without a field goal in the fourth quarter and to only four free throws. Delavan (19-15) made only three field goals in the second half.

“We knew that it was going to be a defensive game at the very end, especially since we came out flat (in the third quarter,” Central senior guard Drew Paben said.

In total, Central forced 16 turnovers and had 12 steals.

Barnett said other than some first-half miscues, notably three fouls on 3-point attempts and giving up a few offensive rebounds, he was impressed with his team’s defensive effort. 

“If we can just limit mental mistakes, we can hold them,” Barnett told his team at halftime. “I knew we could hold them to single digits if we put our mind to it.”

Delavan had no answer for Central senior guard Nick Moore, who had a game-high 22 points. It seemed whenever Central needed a basket Moore took control.

“I like to say I’m a leader,” Moore said. “Just controlling my game and leading my guys to an awesome victory.”

Moore made nine two-point field goals on a night Central missed all seven of its 3-point attempts.

“He’s very good at mid-range. He’s worked on that over the years,” Barnett said. “We’ve been knocked out by some teams the last couple years that have taken that shot away from him. He’s put a lot of time and effort into developing a better mid-range to figure out how to create space and get that shot off and tonight it showed up big.”

Paben added 12 points and Blewett finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

The three-headed monster on display in Augusta is nothing new. Moore, Paben and Blewett played integral roles in last year’s run to the sectional championship.

“I think the experience (helps),” Blewett said. “We can slow ourselves down, think through things, and we can make plays.”

Central trailed only twice in Friday’s affair — 4-0 in the game’s first minute and 26-25 for a 30-second stretch in the third quarter — and outscored Delavan 12-4 in the final frame. Delavan had one player in double figures with Micah Brockhouse scoring 10 points.

The sights are now set on unfinished business. Central has a shot at a sectional championship rematch with Illini Bluffs after falling to the Tigers 54-46 a year ago.

But first things first Tuesday night.

“At the end of the day, we just got to go out and take it one game at a time and play hard,” Barnett said. “If we make enough shots, we get the opportunity to move on. Players make plays this time of year and we made enough today.”