The College of DuPage men’s basketball team faced the Rock Valley Community College Golden Eagles in a thrilling game on Feb. 1. Down at halftime, the Chaps clawed back to take the lead with 30 seconds remaining. After being sent into overtime, the team’s grit and resilience erased a 13-point deficit to secure an 11-point win.
The Golden Eagles were trying to get back in the win column after back-to-back losses against Bryant & Stratton College (83-63) and Morton College (59-47). Rock Valley shot an abysmal 21% from behind the arc and 34% from the field within those two games. For the Chaparrals, they were 8-2 at home and coming off a win against Kishwaukee College (77-67). DuPage shot 46% from the field and 44% from three-point land.
The Golden Eagles won the tip and started the scoring with a three from Isaiah Green. COD couldn’t find the basket on their first few possessions, which led to an early 0-5 deficit. DuPage’s Adyn McGinley took the top off the basket for COD after making a three from the top of the key. COD was down 5-11 within a few possessions of McGinley’s three, but thanks to a three from Ramone Enis and a couple of free throws from Terence Spencer, DuPage brought it within a point (10-11).
After multiple trips down the floor for both teams, resulting in no points, Enis started the scoring again by making a jumper from the elbow (12-11). McGinley made a three from the right corner to go up by 4 (15-11).
Rock Valley came back to take the lead after a couple of wide open layups and a couple free throws (15-16). Spencer scored a contested layup after a great hustle play by Braylen Meredith. DuPage was behind 22-29 with three minutes to go in the half. Ben Zielinski connected on a corner to decrease Rock Valley’s lead. The Golden Eagles entered halftime with a 6-point lead over the Chaps.
DuPage started the second half with the ball, but the momentum Rock Valley had in the first half carried over to the second.
COD went down by 13 and couldn’t find an answer to stop the Golden Eagles 6’9” big man, Joel Brown. COD went on a 7-0 run to bring themselves within 6 points due to quick transition points from McGinley and Charles Farrell. Kamarion Cobb stopped the bleeding for the Golden Eagles after making a contested three, and a timeout was called by Rock Valley. Going into the timeout, DuPage found themselves only down by two after a three-point play by Meredith (49-51).
The tides were changing in the PEC arena, and after Ferrell tied the score with a three, it was a brand new game (54-54). Rock Valley went on a 7-1 run to regain the lead at 55-61. DuPage got back within 2 after a deep three from Farrell and two free throws by Meredith (60-62). The Chaps tied it at 65 after Spencer went 1 for 2 at the free throw line and two great defensive plays by Farrell.
COD would take the lead with a minute left after Meredith made one of his two free throws after being fouled on his shot (66-65). COD gave the lead right back to the Golden Eagles (68-69). With 30 seconds left in the game, COD had to score on their next possession, and McGinley answered with a corner three, giving the Chaps a 2 point lead (71-69).
Rock Valley called a timeout to draw up a play with 24 seconds left. The Golden Eagles inbounded the ball and took a shot but missed. With 7 seconds left, the Eagles got their offensive rebound, and laid it up to tie it at 71 with less than 2 seconds on the clock. The Chaps inbounded the ball and called a timeout on their side of the court to give them a realistic shot for the win. McGinley threw it to Farrell and threw an off-balanced shot that didn’t find the basket, sending the game into overtime.
In the overtime period, Farrell got called on a charging foul on the first possession to give the ball to Rock Valley, where the Eagles would go up two (71-73). Meredith got the lead back for his team after making a three from the right wing (74-73). The Chaps and the Golden Eagles traded baskets (76-75) up until Meredith blocked a layup that would eventually go out of bounds.
On the inbound, Enis rose over his player to tap it to Farrell, which would lead to a Meredith layup to go up by three with 2:50 on the clock.
COD got a couple of crucial stops on the defensive end to maintain their lead. McGinley drove hard in the lane for a layup with 0:58 left on the clock to put the Chaps up by 5. RVCC couldn’t find the basket on multiple shots, leaving the Chaps with the win.
Farrell finished with a double-double by having 23 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
“We started off slow,” said Farrell. “We knew we needed to fight back and to stay together. They were giving me the ball; so I was just shooting it.”
Meredith said he was particularly determined to have a solid game against Rock Valley. “I had a rough one last game, and I had to turn (it) up. I felt the fire inside, and I was just envisioning a good game today,” said Meredith, who had the team high of 26 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds.
Assistant coach Matt Nadelhoffer praised the Chaps for their determination and resilience to take back the win.
“[Resilience] was kind of the word I used at halftime,” said Nadelhoffer. “Really proud of our grit.”
As an added struggle, head coach Joe Kuhn was not present at this game. His absence was felt by all players, and Nadelhoffer felt it was their biggest hurdle.
“Just when we were struggling, we just kept going back to who we are, and we just trusted the process,” he said. “I’m really proud of [Meredith] and just making big plays and leadership moments, and a lot of guys. I’m glad we got the W, and I can go back to my real job.”
COD is back in action on Feb. 6 when they face the Milwaukee Area Technical College Stormers in the PEC arena at 7 p.m.
