Rockets Fall in Overtime Heartbreaker

The Okawville Rockets came up just short in their quest for a third straight trip to the IHSA State Finals, falling 71-68 in overtime to Triopia last week at the Jacksonville Super Sectional.

It was a tightly-played affair from the tip to the final buzzer, but Triopia hit a big shot at the end of regulation and outpaced the Rockets in the overtime period to earn a spot in the Final Four.

Triopia’s Justin Bachar connected on a three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to force the overtime period. The Rockets were outscored 10-3 at the start of the overtime period. Those few minutes wound up being the difference in the game.

It was a back and forth affair in the early going, with Okawville holding onto a slim lead at halftime.

Triopia rallied to take the lead in the third quarter, but Okawville responded. Lucas Frederking connected on a pair of free throws to give his team a 57-54 lead with under ten seconds to play. That set the stage for Bachar’s heroics.

In his final game, Will Aubel came up big for Okawville, leading the Rockets with 23 points. Jackson Heckert backed him up with 16 points, and Lane Schilling hit double figures with ten points. Wyatt Krohne had nine points, Jacksen Harre had six and Frederking finished with four points for Okawville.

The Rockets finished the season with a record of 21-13. Triopia went on to place fourth at Peoria.