Rockets’ blistering shooting too much for Chargers to overcome in tourney loss

MACOMB, Ill. — As the shots kept falling, all Tre Niederman could do was tip his cap.

“There’s really nothing you can do when they don’t miss,” said Niederman, a senior guard on the Illini West boys basketball team.

Rockridge put on a shooting clinic in the third quarter of Friday’s second round matchup with the Chargers in the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament at Western Hall. The Rockets made 10 of 14 shots and went 5 for 7 from 3-point range to put up 25 points in the quarter and pull away to a 65-36 victory.

“They got a little space and just didn’t miss,” Chargers junior forward Wesley Robertson said.

Illini West coach Blaize Kimmell said the Rockets’ torrid shooting was not necessarily a result of anything the Chargers were doing poorly.

The ball just kept going in.

“I wouldn’t say we were playing horrible defense,” Kimmell said. “We were giving them too much space here and there, but they were just hitting some tough shots.”

A personal 5-0 run by Niederman cut the Chargers’ deficit to 29-18 with 6:17 to go in the third quarter, but Illini West never got closer the rest of the way. Rockridge stretched their lead to 51-26 by the end of the third quarter, and it grew to as large as 62-28 in the fourth quarter.

“It could be a humbling experience, call it whatever it is,” Kimmell said. “We lost to a really good basketball team, a top program in the state that always wins, and we’ve got to be better.”

Reigning tournament MVP Landon Bull had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the defending tournament champions. Caleb Cunico followed up his 24-point performance in the Rockets’ first round win over Camp Point Central by shooting 3 for 6 from beyond the arc and scoring 13 points.

“I’ve seen them do it a thousand times,” Rockets coach Jordan Harris said of Bull and Cunico. “When Bull’s got it going inside and Caleb’s got it going outside, we’re hard to stop. It’s a blessing to have both of those kids in a Rockridge uniform.”

Rockridge’s 65 points are the most points Illini West has surrendered this year, topping the 63 Monroe City scored against the Chargers in a Dec. 6 game the Panthers won in overtime. Prior to Friday, the most points Illini West had given up in a game that ended in regulation was 42 in a loss to Macomb on Dec. 13.

“That’s probably the best team we’ll play all year,” Niederman said of the Rockets, which have now won five straight games. “They shot lights out. It’s hard to beat any team that shoots that well.”

Niederman said the Chargers’ style of play is not conducive to keeping up with a team that shoots as well as Rockridge did on Friday.

“Our style of play is playing low-scoring games and trying to out-defend the other team,” Niederman said. “When a team scores that well, it’s hard to do that.”

Robertson said it felt as if the Chargers had to make two shots to match each one the Rockets made just to keep pace.

“We had to come back and match it but it’s hard to do that,” Robertson said. “You don’t really have any chances to not score on your possessions.”

The Rockets (9-4) will face No. 2 seed Peoria Christian in the semifinals at noon Saturday with the winner advancing to the championship game at 8:30 that night.

Kimmell has his pick to take home the title.

“I know who I think is going to win this tournament,” Kimmell said. “They just put on an absolute clinic. I wish them nothing but the best.”

The Chargers (9-4) will take on Monmouth-Roseville at 9 a.m. Saturday for the right to play in the fifth place game. Already having won their first round game against Brown County in a 9 a.m. tipoff on Thursday, Niederman said the Chargers will not have any trouble with the early wake-up call.

“We’ve already got the schedule down,” Niederman said. “We’ll be ready to go.”