The Wildkits finished 2024 strong with a massive conference win over Maine East. Evanston started the game with a 14-2 run, eight points coming from starting freshman Ben Ojala who put up two strong shots from the arc and a contested midrange two-pointer, not missing a single shot. The Kits would never slow down from there, maintaining a double-digit lead and finishing with a 98-42 victory.
Evanston completely dominated the game physically, winning the rebounding battle by 16, forcing the Blue Demons into committing 18 turnovers, and only allowing them to shoot 32% from the field.
“I think they just felt like, this is the final game at Beardsley Gym for 2024, let’s make it a good one,” said head coach Mike Ellis on the team’s mentality for this game.
The Kits thoroughly set the tone and pace of the game, consistently moving at a higher pace than Maine East and attaining eight steals throughout the game. Maine East’s turnovers would often lead to breakaways, and the Kits used every opportunity they got to further their point differential. In the final minutes of the game, Evanston would finish with one of these breakaways, leading to a thundering dunk from junior Monte Dillard that caused Beardsley to erupt.
Exemplary shooting guard Theo Rocca led the team with 21 points, shooting just over 55 percent. Senior George Richards, just trailing Rocca with a strong 19 points, consistently set the pace for each drive. Sixth man sophomore Dion Lane delivered a serious show, coming off the bench and proving his worth, scoring 17 points.
“Before the game, as a team, we felt we had to take care of business,” mentioned Rocca.
The offense wasn’t the only key to Evanston’s victory. While Maine East’s junior Brandon Schreiber managed to score 31 points, making him the leading scorer for both teams, the Kits held every other Blue Demon to less than five points. Evanston played gritty defense the entire game and made sure that Schreiber’s contributions weren’t enough
The combination of an offense going at full speed the entire game, and a tough defense is what led to the Wildkits getting a key conference victory. It’s hard to lose if both phases of the game are clicking, and the Kits will hope to continue this winning combination as they advance through the season.
“This sport rewards scoring if you do everything else. So our thoughts and our focus need to be on the defensive end,” stated Coach Ellis.
The Wildkits will hope to build off the momentum from this win in the Centralia Holliday Tournament, which Evanston will compete in shortly after Christmas. The Kits return to Beardsley after Winter Break, on January 10th against Maine South.
