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Kewanee seizes control late, outlasts Prophetstown
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By Daniel Makarewicz, danmak@qconline.com
By Daniel Makarewicz, danmak@qconline.com
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PROPHETSTOWN — Maintaining a lead was something the Kewanee boys' basketball team had no issues doing on Thursday night. Gaining separation, though, was an issue. All that changed late in the fourth quarter. Consistent defensive stops and perfect foul shooting allowed the Boilermakers to finally extend a wire-to-wire lead. Kewanee forced Prophetstown into eight fourth-quarter turnovers and converted its last 10 free throws to snag a 78-63 Three Rivers Conference victory. "We tried to extend the lead as much as possible," Kewanee senior guard Matt Gustafson said. "We just made some mental mistakes." Offensive efficiency kept Kewanee (18-3, 11-0 TRAC-9) ahead from the opening basket to the final horn. Defensive inconsistencies allowed the Prophets (12-13, 5-7) to stay close even when the Boilermakers twice had eight-point leads in the second half. Prophetstown countered with a run of its own, with its last cutting the deficit to 66-62 as it held the ball with 3:02 left. Gustafson then sealed the deal, forcing a steal near the mid-court line and converting an uncontested layup to push the lead to 68-62. "It always helps to make a defensive play," Gustafson said. "It gets everyone fired up." After that, Kewanee scored 10 of the game's last 11 points to get its ninth consecutive win. "That was the play that energized us to make that run," said Kewanee coach Steve Salisbury, whose team hit all 10 foul shots in the final 70 seconds. "For sure." Down two points midway through the fourth, the Prophets went the final 3:26 without a field goal. "It comes down to composure and execution," said Prophetstown coach Cordell Juhola, who received 18 points from Carter Ames and 17 from Devin Johnson. "Untimely errors ... " While the Boilermakers were frustrated with spotty defensive play and their inability to put the game away when they had chances, they did play their best when it mattered most. Kewanee hit 10 of its 11 fourth-quarter foul shots and thwarted every Prophetstown rally attempt with solid defense. What helped keep the lead was a balanced scoring attack, with Dayton Ince (18 points), Donovan Oliver (16), Gustafson (12), Ryan Hicks (11) and Jared Nimrick (10) all reaching double figures. "It wasn't our best game, but it was a good game," Salisbury said. "We fought through some adversity and showed signs of maturity." Better yet, the Boilermakers never trailed. Looking back, that's a good thing. "We've been doing well this year of keeping a lead, even how slight it is," Gustafson said. "We do a good job of making (the opponent) play from behind." 
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Today is Saturday, May 18, the 138th day of 2013. There are 227 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: A large variety of children's wagons and gigs have arrived in thecity and are being sold at war prices.
1888 -- 125 years ago: All Rock Island retail houses, with the exception of a clothingstore and a jewelry store, have agreed to early closing hours during the summer months.The store will be closed at 8 p.m.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Baseball enthusiasts in Rock Island are attempting to raise$20,000 to keep the Island City Park open, despite the fact that the city has no franchise inorganized baseball this year.
1938 -- 75 years ago: The organization of a third rural young people's unit will beundertaken tomorrow night at the Milan Presbyterian Church, with Mrs. Mildred K.Wellman, home advisor, and Robert Smith, county farm adviser in charge.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Deere & Co. will begin a "big switch" on its telephone systemMonday morning. The extension numbers of all 1,600 telephones on the firm's EastMoline and Moline exchanges will be changed Monday morning.
1988 -- 25 years ago: East Moline's June Jamboree VI -- Nostalgia Days, will seemlike a '60s revival with the appearance of stars like Bobby Vee, Freddie Cannon, PeterNoone, Turtles, The Grass Roots and Lou Christie. This year's festival has beenexpanded to five days, June 22-26, at the Northeast Park complex.
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