As the only senior in a lineup otherwise comprised of sophomores, Aurora Christian forward Cameron Morel has a different perspective about the immediacy of the postseason.
The others have two more varsity seasons remaining. Morel, however, does not. With the Eagles trailing at halftime Tuesday night, he made sure to remind his teammates of that fact.
“I just told the guys, ‘We’re not losing this game,’” Morel said. “It’s all that some of us have left.”
Morel then came out and scored 11 points in the third quarter to turn the tide in the Class 1A Harvest Christian Sectional semifinals. Aurora Christian finished the game on a 10-0 run to pull away for a 64-56 win over Rochelle Zell, erasing a six-point halftime deficit in the process.
Morel led all scorers with 21 points for the Eagles (21-8), who will play at 7 p.m. Friday for the sectional title. Sophomore guard Marshawn Cocroft added 16 points, including 14 in the first half. Sophomore guard Jacob Baumann added 12 points on four 3-pointers.
Adi Chazan scored 14 points to lead Rochelle Zell (21-6).
Morel did a little bit of everything to give the Eagles a 54-52 lead after three quarters. He converted two 3-point plays, put back a rebound, made a layup off a steal and hit a 3-pointer.
“It’s a senior doing what he should do, right?” Aurora Christian coach Dan Beebe said. “He did a great job. I think any time you’re a senior, you’re a hard out. There’s maybe a little more desperation, a sense of urgency.
“He was rebounding, playing defense, making shots. We know he’s a shooter, but he was getting to the rim. It was great to see.”
Beebe pointed out how versatility has been a sign of Morel’s evolution throughout his career.
“He worked very hard on that,” Beebe said. “He used to be a guy that was just a catch-and-shoot guy. He worked very hard at being able to put the ball on the floor. That’s come a long way.”
Morel was even harsher in his self-evaluation.
“At first, I used to just be a shooter,” Morel said. “Stop me from shooting the ball and take me out of the game. You can’t do that anymore. I know I can go to the hoop. I can finish.
“I don’t need the three to win.”
After enduring a 45-minute delay due to a tornado warning, the game finally started. Rochelle Zell shot 16 of 21 in the first half, including 7 of 8 from 3-point range. The Tigers led 39-33 at halftime.
“They just didn’t miss,” Morel said. “One dude hit one from almost half court.”
Coming out for the second half, somebody on Aurora Christian needed to make a defensive play. Enter Cocroft, who forced a steal and scored on a layup to set the tone for the comeback.
“They were hitting shots, but we knew we would find a way back,” Cocroft said. “I just knew eventually we’d get a stop.
“When we came out of the half, coach was like, ‘Keep that same energy. Jump right on them.’ That’s what I did. I got up, stole the ball and got the layup.”
Morel took it from there, which did not surprise Cocroft.
“Cam is always like that,” Cocroft said. “We were down in the regional championship and he was telling us he didn’t want that to be his last game. He said he was going to play hard and try to win the game, and that’s what he did.”
Now, the Eagles have a chance to win their first sectional title in five seasons.
“It’s definitely an opportunity that everyone dreams about,” Morel said. “When you’re a senior, it’s something I’ve been dreaming about my whole life — playing in the front yard.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
