Kaneland outlasts Yorkville Christian in barnburner to take 61st Plano Christmas Classic title

PLANO – Luke Reinert doesn’t hide from the fact that it’s easy for him to get lost among his taller, talented Kaneland teammates.

But there the senior guard was, holding a tournament trophy high in the middle of the Knights at center court.

“I’m 5-foot-8,” the blonde, floppy-haired Reinert said with a wide smile. “It’s kind of hard to see me out there.”

His contributions were impossible to miss Saturday.

Reinert, all 5-foot-8 of him, made enormous plays in the heat of a scintillating fourth quarter. He hit two 3-pointers, made a spectacular assist for a Freddy Hassan dunk and took a charge of Yorkville Christian star Jayden Riley in the final seconds.

And the Knights needed all of it to hold off Yorkville Christian 91-85 in the championship game of the 61st Plano Christmas Classic.

Kaneland (12-1), going back-to-back as Plano champs, became the first school to win five Classic titles.

Freddy Hassan had 23 points and 14 rebounds, tournament MVP Marshawn Cocroft scored 20 points, Evan Frieders 18 and Reinert 14 points and four assists. Jeffrey Hassan, Freddy’s 6-foot-9 sophomore brother, had 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Knights overcame a fabulous performance by Riley, who scored 39 and had seven assists. Sophomore Tray Alford added 23 for the Mustangs (11-4), in their first Classic final.

“This means everything,” said Freddy Hassan, who scored 10 of his 23 in the fourth quarter. “We all work so hard together, late nights in the gym, early mornings. I think this is just the beginning of what we can do, honestly.”

In a dizzying fourth quarter, the two teams combined to hit 11 3-pointers and totaled 61 points. Cocroft’s driving layup with 2:02 left gave Kaneland the lead for good, 79-77, but with the Knights up five Riley buried a 3-pointer, was fouled and made the free throw.

“It was crazy. Everybody was zoned out, couldn’t miss,” Reinert said. “It was good defense but everybody was just making shots. That’s what it’s like when you zone out and make shots.”

Yorkville Christian was in the zone throughout, making 19 of its 38 3-point attempts.

Riley, who matched a career-high with 39, hit seven threes, one to beat the halftime buzzer with the Mustangs ahead 35-34 and one as time expired in the third quarter.

Alford hit seven threes, a corner three off a Riley kickout giving Yorkville Christian its biggest lead, 50-41 with 4:51 left in the third quarter.

“We shot it, and I knew we were going to shoot it well because we hadn’t shot it well,” Yorkville Christian coach Aaron Sovern said. “Jayden Riley was amazing. There are a lot of heavy hearts because they left it on the floor.”

Reinert and Kaneland, unlike their counterparts, did not shoot it well in the first half, 0-for-8 from distance, but he made big shots when it counted. Reinert scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half with three threes, his last one giving Kaneland a 77-74 lead with 2:37 left.

“If the shots are open, I’m going to take it,” Reinert said. “If not, pass it to my teammates.”

Like the lob he threw to the 6-foot-7 Hassan from halfcourt for a thunderous dunk with 1:24 left for an 86-83 lead.

“I was actually going for Evan Frieders on the right side but someone was there,” Reinert said. “Threw it to the other side. Freddy is easy to see. Nobody is stopping him when he goes up.”

Few stopped Riley, but Reinert did in the closing minute, stepping in on a baseline drive for a charge and Kaneland leading 88-85. Riley fouled out seconds later.

“I saw him driving baseline, I knew he was trying to score,” Reinert said. “No way he was passing there.”

Kaneland coach Ernie Colombe wasn’t surprised to see those kind of contributions from a kid in Reinert who stepped into the starting lineup this year.

“Senior stepping up, that’s why he is starting,” Colombe said. “He had a big offseason, he was a role player the last few years to a kid who is giving us some huge minutes. He’s done it all leading as a senior.”

Kaneland had a sizable height advantage, and it became more distinct when Yorkville Christian’s 6-foot-6 Noah Aguado got his fourth foul with 3:29 left in the third quarter and the Mustangs leading 50-45.

Jeffrey Hassan had nine of his 12 in the third quarter with two dunks and Kaneland had seven of its 14 offensive rebounds in the quarter.

It allowed the Knights to creep ahead 58-57 going to the fourth quarter.

“Noah, he is really good but he is their only big,” said Freddy Hassan, who led a 36-23 edge on the glass. “Our goal was to get him out of the game. On top of that fact me and my brother are unstoppable on both sides of the floor.”

Aguado eventually fouled out with 5:47 left and Yorkville Christian ahead 63-60.

“He had him walled up and there was phantom contact and you take him out of the game,” Sovern said. “It’s very frustrating that it impacted the game so immensely.”