18
The
Voice
May 3, 2012
Bulls seek to gain momentum in game three Friday By Woodrow Carroll The first game without Derrick Rose for the rest of the season started out well for the host Chicago Bulls in Tuesday night’s game two of the National Basketball Association firstround playoff series. The Bulls gave up an eight-point lead and fell, 109-92. Philadelphia
drew even in the best of seven series with the Bulls at one game each. Game three will be in Philadelphia at 7 p.m. Friday, May 4 and game four will be at noon Sunday, May 6. Philadelphia’s reserves out-scored the Bulls reserves, 39-32. The Bulls had gained a reputation for scoring
production from the reserves. Rose was hurt in the final 90 seconds of game one against Philadelphia when the Bulls won, 103-91. His knee injury occurred without player contact in an usual accident. The Bulls finished as runner-up in the Eastern Conference last year when they lost to Miami in the cham-
pionship series. The Bulls would have to win two series to return to the Eastern Conference championship. Rose has been plagued with a season of injuries. He had played in less than two-thirds of the regular-season See page 20
Aurora University goalkeeper Adam Holka, 9, stops an Albion College shot in AU’s 13-9 Midwest Lacrosse Conference win over the Britons at Vago Field in Aurora Sunday, April 29. The Spartans’ fifth straight win improved their season record to 12-3 and 8-1 in the MLC prior to this week’s conference tournament. Al Benson photo
West Aurora teams on a roll
Joliet Catholic Academy’s Moira McSteen keeps control from Willow Academy at IMSA in Rosary Invitational pool play. JCA won the consolation championship. See page 17. Al Benson photo
to the Kane County meet Friday at West Aurora. “We have not had our best meet yet as a team, so a win at Kane County would mean a lot to me and the athletes,” he wrote in response to an E-mail this week. “Our field events got us off to a good start (at Oswego) with Royce Golembeck winning the pole vault, Aaron Kennebew winning the high jump and triple jump and Lijah Spears winning the shot put and discus.” Greg Roach won the 110 high hurdles and Vontrel Hawkins won the 400 meters. The Kane County meet will begin at 4 p.m. Friday with field
from page 17
events, track prelims at 5 p.m. and the track finals at 6 p.m.. West Aurora will compete for top honors at the Kane meet against Kaneland, Geneva, Batavia, and Burlington Central. Last week at Oswego, West Aurora scored 161 points, Aurora Central Catholic was second with 129 points in the six-team meet, and Oswego took third place with 110 points. West Aurora’s girls soccer team won three games in the pool play at Rosary with victories over Harvest Christian, Rosary, 2-1, and Hinckley-Big Rock, 3-1. West Aurora moved to championship play with a 2-1 victory over Willow Academy and a 4-0
victory over St. Edward in the championship game. St. Edward beat Rosary, 2-0, in the other semifinal game. Joliet Catholic Academy defeated IMSA, 2-0, in the consolation championship. West Aurora improved to 11-7 overall. The team scores in the girls Kane County track and field ended with West Aurora, 142; St. Charles East, 83; Batavia, 58; St. Charles North 52; Burlington Central, 48; Geneva, 41; Rosary, 41; Kaneland, 34; Hampshire, 32; Aurora Central Catholic, 13; South Elgin, 12; Streamwood, 2. • Marmion Academy appoint-
Yorkville rally to beat Kaneland encourages coach “DeKalb is playing well and they played Kaneland tough. We expect to see some good games from both teams.” Luken said Derek Piszczek is expected back at the end of April or early May. He has been out most of April after taking a ball to the head. Piszczek, who threw a no-hitter against West Aurora, was replaced at second base by Matt Thill. The senior has stepped up during Piszczek’s absence and was batting .324 with a .382 slugging percentage. “Matt’s played solid defense and really stepped up for us,” Luken said. Left-handed junior pitcher Brett Assell has been an unsung hero all season for the Foxes. Assell, 4-1, has helped solidify the pitching staff by keeping the Foxes in every game, while keeping opponents’ bats quiet in the last few weeks. In his last 29 innings pitched, Assell has a 0.97 ERA, while not allowing an earned run and just three hits in his last 17 innings, including surrendering just one hit in games against Morris, Rochelle and Kaneland. “Brett’s got two or three pitches that he can
See page 21
from page 17
throw all the time for strikes,” Luken said. “He’s not a dominant pitcher, but he moves the ball up and down and keeps hitters guessing. He’s been a real shining star for us.” Overall, the Foxes have used five starting pitchers in conference play and possess an overall 2.86 ERA as a staff heading into the final stretch of the regular season. Luken credits good chemistry for the team’s ability to stay in every game this season. The Foxes spent the weekend in mid-April in Peoria. Yorkville played just one game, a 10-6 loss to Metamora, due to a rainout, but the players attended the April 15 Bradley University-Indiana State game to watch former Yorkville High School standouts and current Braves Stephen Toma and Anthony Athens. During the trip, the Foxes visited a Bass Pro Shop, ate at Golden Corral, went bowling, and bonded during the weekend. “It was great to get away and a good experience,” Luken said. “I feel really good about our chemistry. This is a real close group.”