Joliet guard DeMario Edwards blocked a three-point shot at the buzzer, allowing the host Steelmen to edge Sandburg 49-47 in a SICA West showdown.
No. 13 Joliet (16-4, 4-1) led by as many as 12 points in the third quarter before Sandburg (11-8, 2-3) went on a 13-3 run. Sean McBride capped that run with a three-pointer as the fourth quarter started, making it 40-39 Sandburg.
“This has happened to us all year long, the second-half blues,” Joliet assistant coach Mike O’Connell said. “Terrance Chapman has been our most consistent player for the last six games.”
Chapman, who finished with 22 points, hit a basket off a rebound and then converted his free throw, putting the Steelmen up 48-47 with 37 seconds to go. Joliet’s Kellen Easley hit one of two free throws with 17 seconds left to up the lead to two.
McBride, who had 17 points, attempted a game-winning three-pointer as time expired, but Edwards blocked it.
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“I think if I would not have got a hand on it, he would have made that shot,” Edwards said.
Sandburg has recently lost tough games to No. 2 Lincoln-Way and Lockport as well.
“We played three of the better teams around, played them even but have nothing to show for it,” Sandburg coach Randy Voels said.
Ken O’Brien.
Next: Tuesday at Kankakee.
1. Thornwood: Melvin Buckley had 21 points and four three-pointers and Eddy Curry contributed 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocks as top-ranked Thornwood (15-1, 5-0) rolled past host Homewood-Flossmoor 82-43. H-F (8-8, 2-3) went on a 7-0 run to pull within 45-33, but Curry responded with an emphatic dunk to stop the run and silence the crowd.
“The crowd was getting emotional when they started to make the run,” Curry said. “I just decided that it needed to end there.”
Steve Winding led H-F with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Next: Saturday vs. Rockford Guilford at Rockford MetroCentre.
2. Lincoln-Way: Adam White scored 15 points and Kevin Menard added 14 points and seven rebounds as the Knights (14-2, 5-0) defeated Stagg 49-37 in the SICA West. Lincoln-Way went on a 9-0 second-quarter run to break away from a 12-12 tie.
“We got back to what we do best tonight,” said Lincoln-Way coach Steve Little, whose team lost to No. 14 Hillcrest on Tuesday. “Adam is our MVP. If he is not on the court, our big guys don’t get the ball.”
Jon Womack’s 16 points led Stagg (9-10, 0-5).
Next: Tuesday at home vs. Hinsdale South.
3. West Aurora: Defeated Naperville Central 70-48.
See story, Back Page.
Next: Friday at home vs. West Chicago.
7. Morgan Park: Jonathan Brown scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Mustangs (12-3) downed Abingdon 52-45. Dan Leadbetter’s 16 points and eight rebounds led Abingdon, which drops to 15-1.
Next: Monday vs. Carver.
8. Downers Grove North: Kyle Kleckner scored 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field as Downers North (15-1, 5-0) held off Oak Park 60-56. Matthew Formato had 13 points, including 10 points on free throws in the fourth quarter.
Oak Park’s Max Sakellaris hit a three-pointer with 6:08 left to bring the Huskies (3-12, 0-6) within 41-40, but they could get no closer. Vincent Darling led Oak Park with 16 points.
“We escaped here tonight,” Downers Grove North coach Steve Joslyn said. “[Oak Park coach] Al Allen had his kids fired up.”
Next: Saturday at home vs. Hinsdale Central.
9. DeKalb: Eric Hollister and Justin Diedrich each scored 18 points and Erik Jaske added 15 points as the Barbs (17-0, 7-0) stayed atop the Upstate Eight with a 68-47 victory over Larkin. Steve Knapp had 15 points for Larkin (2-12, 2-6).
Next: Saturday at Neuqua Valley.
10. Shepard:Defeated Thornton 54-38.
See story, Back Page.
Next: Tuesday at home vs. Bolingbrook.
11. Evanston: When you finish the opening half with nearly the same number of points as turnovers–and your opponent is ranked No. 11–you know it’s going to be a long night.
That was exactly the predicament Maine South found itself in Friday night when it carried a six-game winning streak into Evanston. The Wildkits snapped that streak and retained their lead atop the Central Suburban South with a 61-42 win.
Trailing 33-15 after two forgettable quarters, which featured 12 turnovers and 24 percent shooting, Maine South (12-5, 3-2) found itself in a deep hole due to Evanston’s marksmanship. Known more for its run-and-gun than long-distance prowess, Evanston (12-3, 5-0) did its damage from the outside, hitting five of its first seven three-point attempts.
Two of those came from Stacy Moragne in the game’s opening minute, sparking an 8-0 run. While Maine South managed to tie Evanston at 11 with 1:48 left in the opening quarter, the Hawks failed to score during the next six minutes while the Wildkits reeled off 15 straight points.
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Next: Saturday at Palatine.
12. Bloom: Joe Chapman scored 11 of his team-high 14 points in the second half as the Trojans held off Thornridge 60-53 in the SICA East. Josh Argue added 11 points and six rebounds and Jamaand Greenwood contributed 11 points for Bloom. After Thornridge closed to 52-51, Bloom ended the game with an 8-2 run. Keith Richey had 15 points and seven rebounds for Thornridge (11-7, 2-3).
Next: Saturday at home vs. Peoria Central.
15. St. Patrick: Defeated St. Viator 64-61 in overtime.
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Next: Saturday at Elk Grove.
18. Proviso East: Jarett Carswell and Shannon Brown scored 13 points apiece and Dee Brown added 12 points as the Pirates (12-3, 5-0) cruised past Morton 61-41 in the West Suburban Gold. Leading just 19-17 after one quarter, Proviso East outscored Morton 18-5 in the second. Hector Vargas had 10 points for Morton (6-9, 1-4).
Next: Saturday at home vs. Willowbrook.
19. Wheaton North: Jason Fisher scored 18 points and Jeff Bridges added 10 points and nine rebounds as Glenbard East (8-8, 3-4) nearly blew a 15-point lead in a 52-51 victory over Wheaton North.
Brian Allured led host Wheaton North (12-3, 5-2) with 24 points, including 14 in the fourth. Down 52-49, Allured scored on what he thought was a three-pointer, but the officials ruled his foot was over the arc. Allured had made 4-of-8 from three-point range.
“[Wheaton North] created a hostile environment here,” Glenbard East coach Scott Miller said. “I was real proud of our kids being able to come in here and hold their composure.”
Glenbard East led by 15 in the third quarter, but Wheaton North went on a 10-0 run to climb back into the game.
Next: Tuesday at home vs. Benet.
20. Brother Rice: Defeated De La Salle 53-42.
See story, Back Page.
Next: Tuesday at home vs. Marist.