As time passes Rockford Lutheran’s fourth place finish at last weekend’s state basketball finals will seem pretty special.

The immediate reaction was disappointment as the Crusaders fell 87-56 to Chicago-Morgan Park in Saturday’s Class 3A third place game at Carver Arena.

But there was also a sense of pride among top players as Lutheran wrapped up its second consecutive trip to state.

“You look back on it, it was a great journey,” said senior guard Joe Kellen. “It has to end sometime, but it’s a good ending with these guys.”

Kellen, a 6-1 senior, was Lutheran’s go-to player with a deadly 3-point shot and a 17.9 per game scoring average this season. He led the way in 18 of 33 games as Lutheran made its sixth state appearance in school history and third in the last four years.

“My basketball career had to be one of the best experiences of my life,” said senior forward Nate Wieting, second on the team with his 14.4 point scoring average. “The guys I played with all four years (were) incredible teammates. It’s bittersweet to take fourth, it’s a bit frustrating. But I loved every minute of it.”

The season included a 19-game winning streak and 24 wins in 25 games heading into state. Rockford Lutheran swept to Regional and Sectional titles and then beat Peoria Manual 49-41 in a Class 3A Super Sectional on March 17.

But state title hopes were thwarted on Friday in a 55-38 loss to perennial powerhouse Westchester-St. Joseph.

Then in Saturday’s third place game, Morgan Park scored early and often in a dominating performance.

The Crusaders (29-4) led for exactly 15 seconds before the Mustangs launched a blitz that included 18 3-pointers.

Guard Jarrin Randall had a game-high 34 points, including 10-for-19 from 3-point range. Wieting led Lutheran with 17 points while Kellen added 11.

For Morgan Park, the third place victory offered some consolation after begin denied a shot at a third consecutive Class 3A championship. Belleville Althoff beat the Chicago Public League team 82-74 in Friday’s semifinals

“Morgan Park hit 18 three pointers,” said Crusaders coach Tom Guse. “We told our guys before the game that athletically they’re very gifted and that it was going to be tough and when they make shots at that kind of a clip it becomes a long day.

Rockford Lutheran also qualified for the Class A finals in 1994 and 1995 under John McDougall, including a third place finish the first year. Coach Marty Kohlwey led the Crusaders to the 1991 Class A tournament.

Guse has a 131-31 record in five seasons at the school, including a fourth place finish last year and third in 2012.

“We’re just going to start celebrating our season,” he said. “We had an incredible year and to finish it here at Carver Arena, there’s so much to be proud of,”