Boys Basketball: Bryce Ebert, Kaneland slow down Yorkville Christian to reach Plano semis

PLANO – Bryce Ebert quickly answered in the affirmative that Kaneland's gameplan was to be physical defensively Friday.

Ethan Feiza said that's nothing new.

"We always try to be physical with teams," said Feiza, Kaneland's 6-foot-2 senior.

Whatever the Knights are doing, it's working.

The Knights held a potent Yorkville Christian team to its second-lowest scoring output this season. Ebert had a breakout performance with 23 points, and Kaneland advanced to the semifinals of the Plano Christmas Classic for the first time since 2012 with a convincing 64-46 win.

Kaneland (7-2) will face Burlington Central at 7 p.m. Saturday.

"We're happy with the effort they're giving us," Kaneland coach Ernie Colombe said. "They're bonding together and playing well as a team, and hopefully we're not done yet. But yeah, obviously we're very happy."

There is indeed much to celebrate around Kaneland. With the Knights' sixth straight win, they've already surpassed last year's win total.

That's sweet music to Feiza, one of seven Knights' seniors.

"It means a lot for us coming from a rough season last year," said Feiza, who had 14 points and 14 rebounds and led a 41-26 edge on the glass.

Brett David added 18 points for Kaneland, which took control of things with a 12-0 run bridging the first and second quarters.

The Knights made things rough for Yorkville Christian (9-3). The Mustangs scored 98 points on Thursday, and came in averaging 81.4 points per game. But Yorkville Christian was held to fewer than 60 points for just the second time this season.

The Mustangs, who never met a 3-point shot they didn't like – and have lived well by it – struggled. Yorkville Christian shot just 4-for-24 from beyond the arc.

"We just didn't make shots," said Yorkville Christian sophomore Jaden Schutt, who scored 18 points on 4-for-12 shooting. "We didn't execute our plays. It was more we beat ourselves."

Schutt actually hit his first three shots and scored Yorkville Christian's first seven points, part of a 14-9 lead. But he managed just one made field goal after the first quarter. Tag team partner Micah Schnyders scored a team-high 20 points, but had just six in the first half.

The Mustangs, who rarely play more than their five starters, got just eight points from players other than Schutt and Schnyders.

"We felt we could pressure them a little bit and force them into taking some tough shots," Colombe said. "They're so reliant on [Schutt] and [Schnyders], and [Brayden Long] is a nice player but we felt we could get up into them and make them make shots with a hand in their face."

Ebert, meanwhile, fueled Kaneland's surge at the other end. The 6-foot-3 senior has the frame of a post, but showcased guard-like skills.

He scored 12 of his 23 points in the first quarter, knocking down two 3-pointers and converting a nifty driving layup. Ebert scored eight during Kaneland's 12-0 run, his second 3-pointer capping it off for a 21-14 lead.

"He's a talented kid; we've been waiting for him to break out," Colombe said. "He's had some big games going back to last year."

Ebert hit all three of his 3-point attempts, a welcome sight.

"Last year I hit a lot more than this year. I think I only hit two before tonight," Ebert said. "Once I realized who was on me I knew I could just drop my arm and I went at them every single time. I just really wanted to win this game. There's been a lot of talk about them, a lot of hype."

Schutt, who scored 51 points in a game earlier this season with an IHSA record 17 3-pointers, is a big reason for that.

Schutt picked up three fouls in the first half Friday, didn't sit, then got two more in the third quarter on loose ball fouls. He fouled out with 1:09 left in the third quarter, and Yorkville Christian trailing 43-33.

It clearly wasn't the tournament advancement the third-seeded Mustangs planned.

"We need to take a look in the mirror and realize what we got to do, and fix it," Schutt said.