Heights’ late-game grit keeps Falcons undefeated at East
Joe Auer walked out of the visitors’ locker room with a lot to say.
He didn’t need a question to answer before he sung the praises of his team’s relentless fight in Heights’ 66-58 road win against East on Wednesday night. The Falcons shot 38.5 percent from the free throw line, had 20 turnovers and beat “one of the best teams in the state,” Auer said.
“It was incredible determination and effort from our guys,” he said. “This game is always ugly. This is a game about grit and determination when you come back. That’s why we won. Our kids refused to hang their head all night.”
The undefeated Falcons hadn’t faced a four-quarter test since their season-opener against West, an eventual 47-46 win, but the Aces were brilliant from three. Heights struggled to put them away until the fourth.
Heights stuck with its zone scheme and begged East to start missing outside shots. The Aces started to go cold in the fourth. That led to long rebounds and fast-break opportunities, including three with about two minutes to go that helped crush any hope of an East win.
With a two and a half week layoff because of the winter break, Auer said he didn’t set a “pretty win” as one of the Falcons’ goals for their first game back. He knew it wouldn’t be. He said he was happy it wasn’t in a way.
“For us to go on the road, play a great team that’s hot, they’re coming off some good wins, that’s a great win for us,” he said. “That’s how we end every pregame discussion: ‘Win, whatever it takes.’ “
Although Heights was cold from the free throw line, the Falcons were pure from the field, hitting on about 60 percent of their shots. Junior guard Jaxon Pillich led the way with a game-high 22 points. He was outstanding in transition and was pivotal late on both ends of the floor.
When Pillich spoke about the flow of the game, he smiled ironically. Many of Pillich’s points were a product of turnovers and second-chance buckets off 14 offensive rebounds. He said he knows his group can grind games out because of their chemistry.
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“Right now, we’re just trying to stay down as a team, staying humble and playing our game,” he said.
With the win, Heights remains undefeated and tied atop the City League with Southeast. That tie will break Friday as the Falcons host the Buffaloes in what looks to be not only one of the best games in Wichita but also all of Kansas.
“We needed that tonight,” Auer said. “This was tough on so many different levels. Now Southeast comes to our house, Bishop Carroll comes to our house. A lot of fun. A lot of fun.”
This story was originally published January 2, 2019 at 11:44 PM.