New Trier coach Rick Malnati wasn’t alarmed when Maine South was forcing his Trevians to shoot from the perimeter Tuesday.
“To force us to shoot outside is usually death,” Malnati reasoned. “I thought we had the whole offensive package.”
But the ninth-ranked Trevians couldn’t survive the second half, shooting just 4 of 20 from the field, and Maine South pulled out a 44-41 victory to oust the top seed in a sectional semifinal at Niles West.
Fourth-seeded Maine South (21-7), which trailed 28-26 at the half, held the Trevians’ Matt Lottich and Bo Smart to two points each in the second half. Lottich, who picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter, finished with 16 points and Smart had 10.
“We’re tough to spread against (defensively) because we’re as athletic as anyone,” said Maine South coach Dave Scott, whose team has won 12 straight. “They can all handle the ball and they can all shoot.”
Maine South trailed New Trier (23-5) by three heading into the fourth but went on an 11-2 run with nine points by Eric Schmidt, who finished with 16. On Friday, the Hawks will play the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Gordon Tech and Evanston.
Bloom: Nate Williams hit one free throw and intentionally missed the second with :01 remaining to give No. 7 Thornton a 53-52 victory over Rich Central.
More Top Picks Buying Advice
With the game tied, Williams (20 points, 11 rebounds) was fouled while rebounding a shot from teammate Jonathan Woods. After hitting the first free throw, Thornton coach Rocky Hill instructed Williams to miss the second to start the clock. Rich Central grabbed the rebound but was unable to get off a shot before time expired.
“It’s all about survival,” Hill said. “You have to give Rich Central a lot of credit. That’s the best I’ve ever seen them execute.”
Central (16-12) led Thornton 44-40 early in the fourth before Thornton went on a 10-2 run to take the lead. Rich Central then tied the game three times in the final minute. Derrick Murphy led the Olympians with 16 points.
“You want the kids to decide it on the floor and, unfortunately, it was decided by the blow of the whistle,” Rich Central coach Lee Boyko said. “There were a lot of fouls committed and a lot weren’t called, and so for that type of stuff to be called at that point of the game is ridiculous.”
Bolingbrook: Dwayne Wade had 27 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks to lead No. 12 Richards (26-2) in a 71-43 rout of Hinsdale South (20-8). Richards led 20-4 with under three minutes left in the first quarter. Jeff Lohse scored 17 for Hinsdale South.
Lincoln-Way: Reo Logan’s 19 points and 12 rebounds and Monwell Randle’s 14 points carried No. 16 Hillcrest (24-5) past Bradley-Bourbonnais 56-47. Hillcrest trailed 10-9 after one quarter but outscored Bradley 32-18 over the next two periods to take control. Scott Hodge led Bradley (17-10) with 15 points.
Morton: No. 2 St. Joseph broke open a tight game with a 13-4 run to close the third quarter and cruised into the sectional final with a 64-46 victory over Proviso West. Steve Morgan led the Chargers (27-1) with 23 points and 12 rebounds and Brandon Watkins added 15. John Moore led Proviso (9-17) with 13.
Prospect: Third-ranked Schaumburg (25-2) eliminated Hoffman Estates 51-41 as Antoine McDaniel scored 14 and Dwayne James added 10. Schaumburg trailed by one point at the half and tied the game with 1:09 left in the third quarter on a layup by McDaniel. Brandon Barber scored on an inbounds play to put Schaumburg ahead 32-30, and the Saxons led the rest of the way. Bill Goehrke led Hoffman Estates (20-9) with 11 points.
Rockford East: Rockford Boylan (27-3) used 25 points, including 21 on three-pointers, and 18 assists by Jeff Myers to oust Woodstock 74-50. Joe Tulley added 22 for Boylan; Wes Stock scored 12 for Woodstock (10-18).
Waukegan: Warren rallied from a 10-point deficit and took control with a 15-1 run in the third quarter to pull away to a 55-47 victory over Grayslake. Jourdain Milot led Warren (24-4) with 25 points and 13 rebounds.