Tigers salute Ruklick with win over Streator
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| Princeton’s Scott Roseberg bumps into a Streator Bulldog Saturday night at Prouty Gym. (BCR photo/Mike Vaughn) |
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PRINCETON — The last time Joe Ruklick saw his alma mater play, the Princeton Tigers didn’t play so well, falling to Winnebago in the 2009 supersectional game in DeKalb. This time around, the outcome was more favorable for everyone.
PHS honored the former Tiger great before the game, and the Tigers saluted him with a performance more to his liking, defeating the visiting Streator Bulldogs 50-37. Fifty-five years ago, Ruklick led PHS to a 48-37 win over Streator in the 1955 sectional finals.
“The last time he saw us was the supersectional, and I don’t think he was too impressed that night,” PHS coach Jesse Brandt said. “It was a nice night to honor him, and we played OK. Pretty good defensively but not real well on the offensive end, but we haven’t played back-to-back in a long time either. That could have played into it.”
PHS senior center Ryne Vrana said it was a good experience having Ruklick at the game.
"He came last year in the supersectional and gave a speech in the locker room. He’s a great guy. Very, very famous,” he said.
Vrana led the Tigers with 14 points and followed closely by Brik Wedekind (13) and Reid Clary (10). The Tigers shot just 38 percent from the field (19-50), but Streator shot much worse at 28 percent (14-50).
PHS (20-1) lead by as much as 15 points at 36-21 late in the third quarter after baskets by Vrana, Clary and Wedekind but then hit a lull. The Bulldogs rallied, scoring the final seven points of the third quarter, capped by Tyler Sauers’ three to close within 36-28 at quarter’s end.
Sauers opened the fourth quarter with a pair of free throws to trim the Tigers’ lead to 36-30.
There would be no denying the Tigers’ 20th victory Saturday with PHS outscoring the Bulldogs 14-7 over the final seven minutes of the contest, sparked by a 10-0 run.
Wedekind scored on a putback; Roseberg took an assist from Schmidt; Clary took in a steal for a layup; and Schmidt hit a jumper to make it 44-30 before Streator coach Beau Doty called for time with 5:15 remaining.
Vrana said it took the Tigers some time to adjust playing with the injured Michael Murray taking the night off after re-aggravating an elbow injury Friday.
“Michael’s a big piece to the puzzle. It changes the game a little bit,” Vrana said. “Michael’s an excellent shooter. He can jump, too. We had to see what differently we could do to become successful and beat Streator here.”
Brandt said Murray’s absence “throws a wrinkle” into the rotation, but he thought Brock Schmidt played well in his first start of the season.
It just mixes up what you’re going to do substitution wise,” he said. “I don’t know how long he’s going to be out, so we’ll have to figure it out. I would expect him to be back next week.”
Vrana, borrowing a page out of Ruklick’s book, deftly swished in a hook shot to give the Tigers their biggest lead of the night at 46-30.
“I didn’t make a lot of them, but I got a couple of them there,” Vrana said,
The 2010 Tigers must have looked liked Ruklick’s 1955 Tigers to Streator at the start of the game, scoring the game’s first eight points.
Vrana dropped two free throws, and Reid Clary picked up where he left off Friday vs. Hall, scoring three baskets, including an assist each by Brock Schmidt and David Sailer to make it 8-0 with 4:01 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers outscored their guests 15-5 over the course of the second quarter to take a 25-13 halftime lead.
Tiger tales: X-rays Saturday came out negative on Murray’s elbow Saturday, but he was to have a follow-up MRI Monday. His status for Tuesday’s game at Bureau Valley is unclear ... Streator’s Doty, a first-year head coach, is the son of former Manlius great Steve Doty, who retired after a long, successful coaching career at Washington High School. Saturday's meeting with Streator will be the final meeting between the two long rivals with NCIC ties ... PHS won the sophomore prelim 50-36, led by Jacob Fisher’s 15 points.
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