Say this for Yorkville Christian’s Jayden Riley. He’s an excellent driver.
Riley also passes well and rolls with the punches, even if everyone doesn’t always agree that the 6-foot-2 sophomore point guard draws contact when he goes tumbling to the floor like he did four times Monday night.
“Jayden’s such a good decision-maker,” coach Aaron Sovern said. “We’re working on the jump shot. I thought he could’ve reached the line a couple more times, but it is what it is. He’s a dog.
“They said he was flopping. I said, ‘They’re coming under his feet when he shoots.’”
Riley proved his mettle for the host Mustangs in a 101-88 over Gardner-South Wilmington in a Class 1A Aurora Christian Regional quarterfinal that boiled down to a 3-point contest.
With two minutes left in the third quarter and his team leading 68-52, Riley went down for the last time. He didn’t return for the final 10 minutes, but still finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Yorkville Christian (14-17).
“It was one of those ‘I can go if I have to,’ but as long as we were up 15 or more, I had in my mind we were gonna keep him there,” Sovern said of the bench. “Hopefully, we have a busy week.”
That week continues at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the semifinals against Earlville. Hinckley-Big Rock and the host Eagles play at 6 in the other semifinal. Friday’s championship game is at 7.
Junior guard Zach Marini scored a team-high 26 points Monday for the Mustangs, who don’t have any seniors on the roster.
Freshman forward Jordan Purvis added 16 points, junior forward Brady Sovern had 15 and freshman reserve guard Tray Alford chipped in with 13.
Yorkville Christian, led by Marini’s six 3-pointers, shot 48% (19 of 40) from beyond the arc.
“I feel like I can get downhill, and I’ve got a lot of shooters I can get the ball to,” said Riley, a transfer who played last season on the varsity at Oswego. “We get up and down the floor, and my game complements everybody else’s game.”
Two seniors led GSW (9-22) — guard Cale Halpin with 34 points, including eight 3-pointers, and forward Bennett Grant with 24. The Panthers shot 47% (15 of 32) on threes, surprising Sovern.
“I’ve seen them play six times and they made maybe nine threes out of the six games,” he said. “Now, part of it was we didn’t guard a soul. They were shooting it, though.
“That’s the most threes we’ve given up all year. We have to tighten that up.”
Noah Aguado, a 6-6 junior center, also gave Yorkville Christian a boost.
“The big fella is not on a lot of game film,” Sovern said of Aguano, who has played only the last nine games due to injury.
Aguano had just six points but grabbed eight rebounds, five on offense, and blocked two shots.
Everything, though, runs through Riley. The Mustangs’ first three baskets, two by Purvis and one by Marini, came off feeds from Riley.
“He’s a very good player and he’ll find the right guy,” Purvis said. “I’m grateful he trusts us to shoot the ball. Sometimes, he makes some crazy passes that leave you wondering, ‘How did he do that?’
“He got the ball in the middle and found me for the first shot of the game. It helps the whole team to make that first one.”
Riley also thinks there’s more to come.
“It was a fun game, but for us, I feel like we can shoot the ball way better,” Riley said. “I feel like we have another tank in reserve and can do better.
“I want to stay locked in and try to be more of a leader on defense, too.”
