Two top area players met in a grudge match Friday night, and junior Anthony Vidure, with Lutheran North, was on the winning team over junior Foye Oluokun with John Burroughs.
Metro League Conference foes John Burroughs and Lutheran North met in the Class 3 District 6 final district game, at Whitfield. It was the third meeting of the year, after splitting the first two. The Crusaders won the rubber match, 51-49.
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Oluokun finished game high with 21, including 5-for-9 from 3-point range. Vidure was good for 17, team-high for North.
“We got a hell of a player, they got a hell of a player,” John Burroughs head coach Steve Wilcutt said.
Burroughs let North go on a 10-point run, to jump to a 14-6 lead after a quarter, and the Crusaders led 23-18 at the half.
“We didn’t guard very well in the first half,” Wilcutt said. “Second half we were a lot better. Made some adjustments at the half.”
North went on a 7-point run to start the third and the Bombers answered with a 9-point tear. Burrough’s last six points in the third were 3-pointers by sophomore Trevor Bain, each from opposite sidelines. Burroughs was up by one going into the fourth.
The lead changed hands five times in the fourth quarter. Oluokun had 11 and Vidure had seven. After the 3-minute mark Vidure was 2-for-2 from the foul line and senior James Mitchell was 4-for-4. That was the difference.
Vidure hit two of his 3-pointers with under a minute, but it wasn’t to be.
“We expected a war and that’s what we got,” Wilcutt said.
He said it comes down to making the shots.
“We got the ball inside, didn’t finish a lot of shots, but part of it,” he said. “Theyr’e big and athletic, and it’s not an easy layup, like it sometimes is.”
“You always have a body and a hand in your face,” he said. “They’re very good.”
The Bombers finished their season at 20-6. Lutheran North will play Cardinal Ritter in sectionals.