EAST ST. LOUIS – Dainen Rucker, a junior guard for the East St. Louis basketball team took control of several key games for the Flyers this season at his point position. Rucker was one of the leaders in the Flyers’ excellent 26-9 overall season. The Flyers finished third place in the IHSA Class 3A State Boys Tournament.
East St. Louis defeated St. Ignatius in the third-place game 50-48 on March 10. Rucker said one of the keys for the Flyers was the ability of the boys to stay together in each game.
“For most of the season, everybody just started playing together, moving the ball and the defense was just really good,” he mentioned in an interview after the game with Edwardsville’s boys.
Rucker scored back-to-back baskets to spark the decisive run against the Tigers, including a spectacular floater in which he leaped from one side of the lane to the other to put the ball in, making the score 28-23, seizing the momentum for the Flyers that they held on to the rest of the game.
“I was just holding the ball, because I didn’t want to throw up any bad shots,” Rucker said, “and whenever (the defender) ran at me, I saw an opening and was either going to hit my teammate or do a floater. And I just got open and did a floater.”
East Side head coach Mark Chambers always says that the Flyers play for March and Rucker agreed that it’s been so far, so good.
Now, Rucker will work hard and be primed and ready for his senior season at East St. Louis.
