Rocklin stuns Jesuit with late bucket to steal Division II title

There was never a doubt in Steve Taylor's mind. He knew all along the Thunder would be section champions. The longtime Rocklin High School coach was so confident in his team he made a small investment, ordering 2025 Sac-Joaquin Section Champions T-shirts to distribute to the team following Thursday's Division II championship game against Jesuit at Golden 1 Center. Even when No. 2 Rocklin trailed by four with less than a minute remaining, Taylor knew the Thunder had a comeback in them. Nevada football commit, starting quarterback and sixth man Reeve Slone knocked down a 3-point shot in the corner to cut the deficit to one with 30.3 seconds left, prompting Taylor to call his final timeout to prepare his team for the defensive play that will be talked about in Rocklin for years: Senior Connor DeLaby stole the ball as the seconds ticked away and made a perfect pass to Ely Willis, his best friend since seventh grade, for a go-ahead bucket. Jesuit held on for the final shot, but Asher Schroeder's fadeaway jumper fell short as the Thunder stole a 46-45 victory. "I saw Reeve chasing him down. I knew he was gonna turn him. I got faith in (Reeve). I got trust in him. I saw him turn around. I ripped the ball around his hands," DeLaby recalled. "I saw Ely heading towards the block and you know, I'm gonna trust in my boy right there." "Talk about not quitting. His personality and his leadership, along with some of our other seniors, is what got us to this point," Taylor said of DeLaby. "Even though things weren't going our way, they continued to believe and Connor is scrappy and never quits. He's always going to compete." Rocklin's gritty performance embodied its season. The Thunder started shorthanded because their football team made a run to the section championship game. Even after the football players joined, Rocklin was still missing key transfers that weren't available until SFL play. The Thunder started league slow but finished the regular season on a 10-game winning streak and found its stride heading into the playoffs. "Well, it's nice to be better at the end than at the beginning. Our guys have no quit in them. This is how they played all year," Taylor said. "We just wanted to keep it close, keep it going. We struggled from the floor shooting the ball, but these guys play so darn hard. We were trapping and pressuring at the end; one play is the difference in the game." Rocklin shot 1 of 10 from 3-point range in the first half and wasn't much better from the free-throw line, converting 5 of 13. Still, the Thunder relied on their defensive prowess to keep the game close. Every pivotal Jesuit shot in the fourth was matched with one by the Thunder on the other end. It was just what Taylor expected from the Marauders. "We've had a great competitive rivalry with Jesuit over the years," said Taylor. "They're so well coached, and their kids are really, really talented. But that is one I'm not ever gonna forget, that's for sure." Slone led the Thunder with 14 points off the bench, while DeLaby scored 11. Slone said he had extra fuel coming into the game, especially after falling in the D-II section football championship in November. Jesuit managed to hold Rocklin's leading scorer, Mark Lavrenov, to four points and 2-of-9 shooting, but the Sacramento State commit made his presence known by grabbing eight rebounds and nabbing two steals playing all 32 minutes. "I wouldn't want to be here with anyone else. I love my guys," Lavrenov said. "We love each other on and off the court. The chemistry that we have is second to none, and that's why we're here right now." "This dude has been telling us all week, he doesn't care how many points he scores. He doesn't care about any of that," DeLaby said of Lavrenov. "All he's going to do is do whatever it takes to win, because that's who he is." Rocklin secured its fourth section championship and first since 2009, all under Taylor. Even with 16 years between section championship appearances, Taylor never wavered from his belief the Thunder would return. "We got to the section semifinals last year but lost to Lincoln with Stockton. I hoped that we would get back. I always feel like you're as good as your seniors when you get to this point, because that experience is so important and we have some great seniors. We have the best player in the Sacramento area with Mark Lavernov, and we always expect greatness when he's on the court." The Thunder (24-8) and Marauders (22-9) will await their draw for the CIF NorCal Regional Tournament, which begins next week but for now, Taylor isn't concerned with who is next on the schedule. Said Taylor, "I will worry about that on Sunday night."