SERENA FALLS ON LAST-SECOND 3 Huskers finish with 27 wins and one of the program’s best seasons

By BRIAN HOXSEY bhoxsey@shawmedia.com

GRANVILLE – There is no scale to measure the frustration or disappointment on how any season ends.

But for the Serena boys basketball team, Friday’s loss to Chicago St. Francis de Sales in the Class 1A Putnam County Sectional championship game would have to be at the top of the chart.

St. Francis de Sales senior Aden Stuckey buried a 3-pointer from 25 feet with 0.9 seconds left to lift the Pioneers to a 59-56 victory over the Huskers at R.M. Germano Gymnasium.

“We’ve had a handful of close games this season that, like tonight, didn’t go our way,” Serena coach Dain Twait said. “I was hoping tonight we’d find a way to get one of these tight, down-tothe-wire games, but, and no fault of our kids, it just didn’t happen.

“I love these guys more than words can say. They’ve had one of the best seasons any Serena boys basketball team has ever had. This one is tough, no doubt, but nothing can take away from what these guys have done.”

The Pioneers (14-21) advance to play Herscher Sectional winner Bloomington Cornerstone Christian Academy at 6 p.m. Monday at Illinois State University’s CEFCU Arena in Normal.

Serena, which was playing in the program’s third sectional title game and first since 1998, finishes the season 27-9, one win short of the school record of 28 victories by the 1959-60 squad.

Of the nine losses for the Huskers this season, seven were by a total of 15 points.

“I’m right now thinking about the close games we had with both Seneca and Reed-Custer this year,” Serena senior guard Camden Figgins said. “They were all dogfights like tonight and back-and-forth games. Unfortunately, like those games, we just weren’t able to find a way to put the game away.

“We had so many chances, but they just didn’t work out, and then their kid hits the shot at the end. Props to him.” bounds under their basket with 11 sec onds left in the game, the Pioneers knocked the ball loose, recovered it and called time out with 5.5 seconds remaining. Stuckey received the ball near midcourt, dribbled to just left of the top of the key and let the shot go that swished through the net at the buzzer. from the perimeter. I feel we play a tough schedule, mostly [Class] 3A and 4A schools, but even with that, I felt the biggest key coming into the game was that we would need to match their intensity and toughness.

Serena held a 56-53 lead with just over a minute to play after Figgins scored two of his team-high 18 points on a fantastic drive.

St. Francis de Sales tied the game with 45 seconds remaining on a 3 from the left corner by Brent McLain.

The officials put 0.9 seconds back on the clock, but Serena’s desperation attempt from just past halfcourt bounced off the side of the rim.

“He’s our best scorer and he’s been making tough shots for us all season, St. Francis de Sales coach Jawan Nelson said of Stuckey. We wanted to get the ball in Aden’s hands and have Brandon [Lowe] set a screen for him.

“Serena is a super tough team, and I expected a game like this, to be honest.

“That’s a very, very good team we played here tonight. No doubt about it. What a great game.”

Serena trailed after one quarter 19-17 but led 31-28 at halftime and 42-40 heading to the fourth quarter.

Richie Armour backed Figgins, who also had four assists, with 16 points and four rebounds. Tanner Faivre added seven points and four rebounds, Bradley Armour six points and four rebounds, and Braxton Hart

“Everything we have accomplished this season as a team, it’s going to stick with all of us our entire lives,” Figgins said. “None of us are ever going to forget this season. This was a special team, and one I’m super proud that I was a part of.”

Lowe paced the Pioneers with a game-best 23 points and eight rebounds. Stuckey finished with 14 points, three assists and five steals.

“What makes this so much more disappointing is that we had the ball there with 11 seconds left and couldn’t get a shot off,” Twait said. “The guys ran the play exactly as it was supposed to be run, but they made a strip and in turn got the last good opportunity to score.

“The play just didn’t work.”