Bucs bounce back big to beat E-Rabs

By Bob Kopp

BDR Sports Correspondent

BELVIDERE – It didn’t look good for Belvidere at the end of the first quarter.

Trailing East 15-4 with consensus first-team all-conference junior Austin Revolinski and increasingly efficient junior point Jacob Rodriquez sidelined, the game proved to be a greater gut-check than expected after the Bucs fell to Jefferson 70-64 despite a furious comeback on Wednesday.

Proving no one will out-coach, out-hustle, or out-tough the Bucs, Head Coach Aaron Pearson and top assistant Nate Lister unleashed seniors Deante Barnes, Eric Munoz, Matt Kopp, and juniors Will Morris, Joey Hernandez, Nate Horton, and Xavier “The Rebounding Vacuum” Dent for a stifling defense that opened the door for last year’s only junior to make first-team all-conference Barnes to score 24 of his game-leading 28 points in the last three quarters as Belvidere prevailed 60-55.

Belvidere’s defense raised eyebrows along with the decibel level.

East did not score in the third until the 3:50 mark and were shut out in the fourth until 19.4 ticks were left in the quarter!

With 2:51 left on the clock, the game was tied.

That’s when Barnes, Munoz, and Barnes hit 11 of 12 from the line to ice East.  Munoz scored all of his points (eight) from the line in the fourth, missing none, and connecting on his last two with only 10.2 seconds on the clock.

“Highlight Film” Horton was at his dazzling best with 16 points followed by Dent with six and Morris with two.

Belvidere takes a break from conference play to compete in the DeKalb Christmas Tournament (Dec. 26 through Dec. 30).

NIC-10 action resumes on Jan. 13 as the Bucs travel to a hungry Hononegah that has not lived up to pre-season prognostications. Tip-off begins at 7 p.m.