Thrilling season ends in semifinals

The men’s basketball season was anything but dull. From hard fought battles down to the buzzer to a near conference championship, the Cyclones always kept hope alive.

With a mostly freshman team, it took the Cyclones some time to form a cohesive unit on the court, but once they did, the wins started coming. In the second half of the season, the Cyclones went 12-6 compared to a 7-7 first half. They also held first place in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference until their final Skyway game, where they lost in the last few seconds. Finishing 19-13 overall and 10-4 in conference, the season was considered a success.

“I think it went pretty well. We didn’t start off well, and down the stretch we lost some games we shouldn’t have,” said second-year head Coach Tony Amarino. “There were a lot of nice wins, and we played pretty well as a team, even in the losses. We were in every game.”

Some of the losses and wins this season came down to the final minutes and seconds of games. In the region semifinals, Moraine Valley faced a tough Olive-Harvey College team they faced and lost to 91-77 in November. The second time around, the Cyclones kept the Panthers on their toes, narrowly losing 94-90.

Among the excitement of the season, several players stood out. DeShawn Wilson (Zion-Benton) used his speed on the court to move the ball, earning him All-Region second team and All-Conference first team honors. He also ranked No. 3 in the NJCAA Division II for steals (105). Cortez King (Homewood-Flossmoor) also earned All-Region second team and All-Conference first team honors while David Gray (Oak Forest) was named an All-Region second team and All-Conference second team player.

The Cyclones will lose some sophomores next season, including Wilson and Gray, but have a core crew returning along with some recruits.

“We have good incoming players and we’re still recruiting, but we can turn it around and have another good year,” Amarino said.