Hinckley-Big Rock slips past Indian Creek for LTC Tournament title

SOMONAUK — As Hinckley-Big Rock senior Max Hintzsche went to the free-throw line with his team leading rival Indian Creek by one point and 18.9 seconds left in Friday’s championship game of the 106th annual Little Ten Boys Basketball Tournament, he only had one thought going through his mind.

“I was just thinking, ‘Stay positive and make them,’ said Hintzsche, who missed last season’s tournament with an injury. ”I shoot a lot of free throws, so I’m confident I can make them when I need to.

“But I’m not going to lie, those were pretty stressful.”

Hintzsche made good on both tosses — the final two of his game-high 19 points — and the No. 3-seeded Timberwolves had their potential game-tying 3-pointer at the final buzzer fall short to give the top-seeded Royals an exciting 47-44 victory to claim the Al Stegman Championship Trophy for the first time since 2013.

“This is what we’ve been working for three years,” Hintzsche said. “It feels great to be able to get it.”

Indian Creek (18-9) trailed 14-7 after one quarter, 28-20 at halftime and 39-29 with late in the third. A 3-pointer by Logan Schrader in the final seconds of the period and a 7-0 mid-fourth quarter run — featuring consecutive triples by Faustino Mora and Payton Hueber — with H-BR’s Martin Ledbetter on the bench with four fouls put the Timberwolves ahead 41-40, their first lead of the game.

“We didn’t play a bad first half, but we were just too timid and too scared. The (big) lights were a little too bright for us to start,” Indian Creek coach Nolan Govig said. “We talked at halftime about how we needed to get back to playing Indian Creek basketball, not to be scared and to do what we do.

“I loved how we came out in the second half. We just kept battling and eventually got that one-point lead with three minutes to go, but just couldn’t hold on to it. We had a great look at the end to tie it, but the ball just didn’t go in.

“Our kids gave a great effort tonight, and I’m very proud of them.”

H-BR (20-7) countered with two free throws by Hintzsche and a jumper from elbow by Jacob Orin to make it 45-41.

“We’ve been in that position before this season a couple times when Martin got into some foul trouble,” Hintzsche said. “While we want him on the floor all the time, we’ve also learned how to play without him. When he picked up that fourth foul, I knew I needed to step up even more.”

Indian Creek then used a trey from the right wing by Schrader with 30 seconds remaining to close to within 45-44 before a foul sent Hintzsche to the line.

After Hintzsche, who also posted six rebounds and four assists, Martin Ledbetter finished with 11 points, including a thunderous right-handed slam dunk in the opening period, 10 rebounds and a trio of blocked shots. Luke Badal and Marshall Ledbetter each chipped in five points.

Everett Willis and Isaac Willis both had 12 points and six rebounds to lead Indian Creek, while Hueber had nine points and Schrader six points and nine rebounds.

“That was a tough stretch (with Martin Ledbetter on the bench) for us, but Max really stepped up for us, as did a lot of guys throughout the game,” Hinckley-Big Rock coach Seth Sanderson said. “Credit Indian Creek and Coach Govig. When Martin went to the bench with his fourth foul, they were relentless in getting the ball into the lane or low post.

“We were able to weather that storm pretty well, but (IC) was able to put a run together midway into the fourth quarter, and we went a little cold. But we were able to make just enough plays to keep the lead in the final couple of minutes.”