Admittedly, junior guard Isaiah Gipson has been “off” for much of the season for Kaneland.
But the Knights are now in the playoffs, where it’s all hands on deck. You never know which player is going to be relied upon, starter or reserve, to step up and earn the win to move on.
“We keep telling guys that we play different guys and we trust them,” Kaneland coach Ernie Colombe said. “He’s been working hard. He was in the rotation last year.
“It’s been kind of an up-and-down year for him, but he’s persevered.”
Gipson’s chance came in the third quarter with the Knights trailing by nine points against Wheaton Academy in the Class 3A Illinois Math and Science Academy Regional championship game.
Colombe made a lineup switch, taking out 6-foot-9 sophomore center Jeffrey Hassan and replacing him with Gipson, who sparked the Knights to a 66-56 comeback victory.
Gipson scored twice to start an 8-0 run in the third quarter and cut the deficit to 47-46. He added eight points in the fourth. His driving layup with 6:03 left then gave the Knights the lead for good.
Freddy Hassan, Jeffrey’s brother, led Kaneland (30-1) with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Marshawn Cocroft scored 17 points and Gipson added 14.
Tyler Smith (21-9) paced Wheaton Academy with 19 points. Hayden Schroeder had 10.
In the end, the conversation with Gipson was a quick one for Colombe.
“My coaches asked if I was ready,” Gipson said. “I had to go out there and be ready. My team needed me. I didn’t want to lose the regional championship. We’re having a good season.
“I had to go out there and do my thing.”
The two things that Gipson prides himself on the most, defense and getting to the basket, were just what the Knights needed to turn the game around.
Wheaton Academy starts a four-guard lineup and exploited Kaneland’s size by going 8-for-10 from 3-point range in the first half. With Gipson guarding on the perimeter, the Warriors went 0-for-4.
“His quickness, we wanted to give them a little bit of a different look, turn the tables there,” Colombe said. “We were having trouble keeping them out of the paint.
“We thought some was them getting the ball into the paint on us. We wanted to open up some stuff, and he was able to do that.”
Cocroft knew what the lineup switch meant, and Gipson’s skills helped open things up for him and Freddy Hassan.
“He’s an energy guy,” Cocroft said of Gipson. “Before the game, he’s a guy that gets us hyped up. We knew they had four guards and one big, so we had to make a change. He gave us energy.
“We just fed off that. Before the game, coach always tells the bench guys, ‘I don’t know if you’re going to get in, but if you do, you have to be ready.’ Anyone can go off on any night.”
Colombe was happy to see Gipson play the way he knows he can when the lights were brightest.
“When he plays under control, he has elite athletic ability,” Colombe said. “We have to get him under control, play off two feet, and he did that. He picked a great time to have his best game.”
While Gipson knows his season hasn’t gone as planned, it didn’t stop him from being prepared.
“I love my boys to death,” Gipson said. “They’ve been grinding the whole season. I’ve been off a little bit, but I know I’ll get it back together.”
Gipson understands Kaneland, which entered with a 28-game winning streak, will get every opponent’s best shot every night. He was just happy to do his part.
“We needed this to show that we’re ready for the next step,” Gipson said. “Every game, the other team is always the underdog, so we have a big chip on our shoulder to go out and perform.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
