A scramble at the end of regulation sent Saturday night’s boys basketball game between Lake Forest and Deerfield into overtime.
In the Scouts’ huddle before the extra period, coach Phil LaScala could be heard firmly saying “attack, attack” to his team, which pulled away for a 56-48 victory.
No one listened more intently than senior guard Scott Dent.
“He tells us that all the time. He loves when we get aggressive,” Dent said.
With less than two minutes to go and the Scouts leading 50-48, Dent made his move. He drove down the left side of the lane and with his left hand, banked a layup off the glass for a four-point lead. The Scouts’ defense did the rest, holding the Warriors (5-4) scoreless in the overtime period.
“Playing in these types of games is just going to make us better for the future,” said LaScala, whose team improved to 9-0.
It was mid-November when Dent learned the trajectory of his senior season would change. In the Scouts’ final Class 6A football playoff game, starting point guard Jack Traynor injured his knee. He was declared out for four weeks.
More Top Picks Best Whole House Water Filters For Wells Under House
Dent, a 5-10, 165-pound backup, was named the starter.
“I had a talk with my coaches and teammates and they all told me, ‘You’re the next man up. You’re going to have to hold the fort until Traynor gets back,’ ” he said.
He did more than hold the fort. He guided the Scouts to seven straight victories, one coming in the championship game of the New Trier/Loyola Thanksgiving tournament Nov. 29, when he scored 11 points.
Traynor returned to action in Lake Forest’s 67-42 win over Mundelein on Dec. 17. With Traynor’s minutes limited, Dent continues to start. His versatility was never more obvious than against Deerfield. With 2:50 left in the third quarter, his three-point shot got the Scouts to within four, 36-32, after the Warriors had taken a seven-point lead.
On successive plays to open the fourth, he fed the ball inside to senior forward Evan Boudreaux. The second basket from Boudreaux (18 points, 12 rebounds) gave the Scouts a 40-38 lead, their first since early in the second quarter.
“The heart of a lion,” LaScala said of Dent, who finished with eight points and five assists. “And he’s getting better.”
So are the Scouts. After much-deserved holiday break, Lake Forest will begin a defense of its Jack Tosh Holiday Classic title (played at York) Dec. 26. Unbeaten and holding a top-10 ranking in the baiduhai poll, Lake Forest is a clear favorite.
An overtime come-from-behind victory over a good Deerfield team further validates the Scouts’ emerging identity — winners no matter what the circumstances.
“It’s big. Our first challenge in overtime this year. It feels good to still be undefeated,” said senior Tommy Trkla, who finished with nine points and six rebounds.
Deerfield was led by senior guard Sam Kuznetsky, who finished with 15 points.