The finale of the Manny's Pizza Shootout in Mount Carroll on Saturday, Jan. 18 pitted two Top 5 teams in Class 2A as ranked by the Associated Press. Newman, clocked in at No. 4, went up against top-ranked Rockridge. Were the Comets able to knock the Rockets, led by Wisconsin-bound Ethan Happ, off the top of the poll? Could they do it without the services of John Payan, who sat out his second straight game with the flu?
To help give a picture of what happened during the game, here's a tweet-by-tweet account. This is taken from the NewRocSter Sports Twitter account (@CodyCutter35), and more can be found at #MannysShootout.
5:11 p.m. - Newman about to take the floor, big game vs. Rockridge coming up for the #MannysShootout finale.
5:16 p.m. - Newman Starters: Nate Terveer, AJ Sharp, Micah Trancoso, Noah McCarty, Nolan McGinn.
5:17 p.m. - Rockridge starters: Stevens, Johnson, Happ, Heath, Madison.
5:28 p.m. - Starting lineups up next. Officials are Pat Lower, Tyler Vogt, and the one and only David Gilliland.
5:30 p.m. - Tip off to Rockridge and we're underway!
5:31 p.m. - Madison bucket, countered by Sharp. 2-2
5:32 p.m. - Heath 3, McCarty putback. Rockridge leads 5-4. 5:47 in 1st.
5:34 p.m. - Newman defense creating 3 turnovers thus far, including a apair of steals at midcourt
5:35 p.m. - Sharp for 3 from 18 ft. 7-5 newman
5:36 p.m. - Heath putback, Sharp scores again. 9-7 Newman 3:20 left in first.
5:37 p.m. - McCarty called for a charge, negates basket. Newman still leads 9-7
5:38 p.m. - Sharp puts another in, has scored 7 in a row for Comets. 11-7 Newman 2 min left in 1st q
5:40 p.m. - Johnson 3ptr to narrow lead against Newman Zone d. 11-10 Newman still leads.
5:41 p.m. - Sharp with another 3. 10 in a row. 14-10 Newman. Rockridge TO after a 5-second call turnover.
5:43 p.m. - Terveer grabs offensive glass and puts it in. Second putback for Comets in qtr. Comet D has put pressure on Rockets so far.
5:44 p.m. - End of 1: Newman 16, Rockridge 10.
5:45 p.m. - Happ from inside. Sharp with another 3 ball. 19-12 newman
5:45 p.m. - Happ again from inside. 19-14 Newman.
5:47 p.m. - Happ again. 19-16 Newman
5:49 p.m. - Heath easy one from inside. 19-18 Rockridge cutting lead, 4:35 left.
5:49 p.m. - McGinn at line: make-make
5:50 p.m. - Happ finding his touch, gets another. 21-20 Newman.
5:54 p.m. - 2:31 left in 2q, Newman leads 23-22.
5:56 p.m. - Sharp with a runner in the paint. 25-22 Newman. Happ with a dunk to counter. 25-24
5:57 p.m. - Newman holding for final shot.
5:58 p.m. - No shot. End of first half. 25-24 Newman leads Rockridge.
6:00 p.m. - Newman stats: Sharp with 17 pts, Terveer 2, McGinn 2, Jacob Barnes with 2 off the bench.
6:01 p.m. - Rockridge stats: Happ with 10 (all in 2nd q), Heath 9, Johnson 3, Martens 2 off the bench.
6:07 p.m. - Minute until start of 2nd half. All starters back in.
6:09 p.m. - Sharp called for offensive foul at top of key.
6:10 p.m. - Heath gives Rockridge first lead, at 26-25
6:10 p.m. - Happ jumps one in. 28-25 Rockridge.
6:14 p.m. - Bolin puts one in for Newman. Fouls Heath: make-miss. 29-27 Rockridge, who thought it was a three-shot foul.
6:14 p.m. - Sharp ties it at 29
6:15 p.m. - Happ answers. 31-29
6:15 p.m. - Happ steal and pass to Johnson. 33-29
6:17 p.m. - Heath scores, rockridge on a 6-pt run. Newman TO. 35-29 Rockridge with 2:11 left in 3q
6:17 p.m. - Terveer 3ptr. 35-32 Rockridge
6:18 p.m. - Happ responds. 37-32.
6:19 p.m. - Stevens bucket. 39-32 Rockridge, Newman called for traveling.
6:21 p.m. - End of 3. Rockridge 39, Newman 32.
6:24 p.m. - Newman takes a 30 to avoid a five call from under own bucket. Still 39-32 Rockridge.
6:25 p.m. McCarty fouled by Heath while shooting from underneath: miss-make. 39-33 Rockridge.
6:28 p.m. - Barnes bucket. 39-35. Bolin fouls Stevens: make-make. 41-35 Rockridge. 6:00 left.
6:28 p.m. - Newman turns it over on an offensive blocking call, second of the half.
6:30 p.m. - Rockridge now with the smothering D. Newman puts Rockets in the single bonus now. Rockets pulling away, 45-35.
6:31 p.m. - McCarty at line: make-make. 4:52 left, 45-37 Rockridge.
6:32 p.m. - Happ from underneath along baseline. 47-37
6:32 p.m. - Rockridge puts Newman in bonus. Sharps misses attempt.
6:35 p.m. - Bolin for 3. 47-40 Rockridge. 2:45 left in fourth. Happ responds with bucket. 49-40. Sharp 3. 49-43. 2:00 left in 4q.
6:37 p.m. - Heath bucket-and-one, makes attempt. 52-43 Rockridge.
6:37 p.m. - McCarty putback. 1:21 left. Newman timeout. 52-45 Rockridge in 4q.
6:39 p.m. - Newman starts fouling to regain ball. Stevens at line: make-miss. Rockridge in 2x bonus.
6:40 p.m. - McCarty fouls out. Heath at line: make-make. 55-45
6:41 p.m. - Heath at line again: make-make. Rockridge has this sealed with 40.9 left in game. 57-45 rockets.
6:42 p.m. - Sharp at line for 3 to add to another 20-plus night. Make-miss-miss. 57-46.
6:43 p.m. - Heath at line again: make-make. 59-46 Rockets.
6:44 p.m. - McGinn bucket and Newman timeout, but it may be too late for the Comets. 24.8 left in game, 59-48 Rockridge.
6:48 p.m. - Heath at line: make-make. Happ steal and fouled: miss-miss. Bolin bucket and Newman timeout. 61-50 rockridge.
6:50 p.m. - We got a final in Mt. Carroll. Newman suffers its first loss of the boys basketball season. Rockridge wins 62-50.
6:53 p.m. - Newman stats: Sharp 23 pts, Bolin 7, McGinn 6, McCarty/Terveer 5, Barnes 4.
6:54 p.m. - Rockridge stats: Heath 25, Happ 20, Martens 7, Stevens/Johnson 5. Heath nailed all 9 ft attempts in 4q.