Class 4A regional final at Prospect
Prospect 61, Loyola 51
Records: Prospect 21-7, Loyola 17-12
Halftime: Prospect 30-18
Summary: Prospect snuffed out Loyola’s second-half rally and held on to win its first regional title since 2001. The Knights, who saw their 15-point lead in the third quarter melt to three late in the fourth, finished the game with a 10-3 run. After Ramblers forward Matt Sullivan scored on a layup to cut Prospect’s lead to 51-48 with 3 minutes 35 seconds to play, a pair of juniors and a reserve came through for the hosts. Jack Redding’s putback gave the Knights a 53-48 lead with 3:04 to go, and Joe Latulip sank four free throws in the final 2:29. Senior guard Bobby Reibel came off the bench to seal the victory with a layup with 1:25 to play for a 59-51 lead. Prospect had jumped to a 14-3 advantage in the opening minutes, led by five points from Jason Leblebijian. The Knights held a 41-26 lead midway through the third following a three-pointer by Redding. Loyola’s Sullivan poured in 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half. Prospect had four players in double figures.
Top performers: Prospect –Joe Latulip 18 points 2 steals, Jack Redding 15 points 10 rebounds, Kevin Reed 14 points 9 rebounds 2 blocks, Jason Leblebijian 10 points. Loyola –Matt Sullivan 20 points 3 steals.
The bonus: “We kind of lost a little confidence when it went down to three (points), but we got it right back on that putback,” said Redding of his late basket.
Double bonus: “We probably shoot about 50 free throws every day in practice–it’s just repetition,” said Latulip of his key free throws in the closing minutes. “In the game it’s the same thing, no different. Winning the regional is amazing. It’s a great feeling.”