Bogan survives scare from De La Salle

By Bill Harrison
YourSeason.com
Despite a remarkable individual performance by De La Salles Alvin Ellis, Bogan was still able to sneak out of the Class 4A Mount Carmel regional title game with a 79-63 win.Ellis, a 6-foot-3 junior, finished with a career-high 42 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter when he did everything he could do to try and rally his team back.But the quickness in transition by the Bengals (26-3), and the will to finish was too much for Ellis and the Meteors (17-7) to overcome. Theyll meet Marist in a sectional semifinal.Our plan was to get the lead on them, Bogan coach Arthur Goodwin said. My kids worked hard and they deserved this win. We knew they were big, but to us big means slow.Their kid hit 42 but he left with a loss, thats all we know.The Bengals never trailed, going on a 25-11 run in the first quarter, led by eight points by Devaughn Johnson, who would finish with a team-high 23. The Meteors cut that lead to 27-23 after a 12-0 run sparked by nine points by Ellis, who didnt start because of a nagging knee injury.At the half, the Bengals still led 36-27 before an 8-0 to start the third on six points by Ellis, that pulled the Meteors within 36-35. A 17-5 run to end the third put the Bengals back in control. Despite the big fourth by Ellis, that included four of his eight three-pointers, the Meteors would get no closer than 67-61.Devonte Smith had 15 points for the Bengals while Ronnell Buckner added 12 and Donte Jackson pitched in 10.Ive been about 70 percent and tried to go out there and tough it out and get the win, said Ellis, whose previous career-high was 24. We just needed somebody to take over and I wanted to be that man.We just ended up short; well be back next year.