On paper, you had to figure the 212th meeting between West Aurora and East Aurora would go East's way.

After all, the Tomcats (12-3) had won 12 straight games coming in. They had the homecourt advantage and the superior individual talent.

Sometimes, all that means nothing.

In a classic game, the Blackhawks came away with a 66-64 win in double overtime on Saturday.

For West (11-5) to win, I figured it would need someone to step up and play at a level higher than what you might expect. That player turned out to be senior Bryson Hughes, shown at left blocking a shot attempt by East's Jamar Shepard.

Hughes averages around 6.0 points per game, but he came up with an 18-point effort against the Tomcats. This performance gave the Blackhawks the offensive punch they needed to stay with East and eventually get over the top.

In addition, veteran West High coach Gordie Kerkman proved once again that he has 660 career wins for a reason. Kerkman switched to a 3-2 zone in the fourth quarter. This was a wise move because it limited East's athletic advantage and took away some one-on-one driving opportunities for the Tomcats.

As a lifelong West Sider, I was pleased to see the Blackhawks come out on top. Players on both teams deserve congratulations for putting on a great show. It was an excellent night of high school basketball here in Aurora.