The word “Heart” was written on the white board inside the Stevenson boys basketball team’s locker room Tuesday night.
The Patriots needed every last ounce of heart they had to pull out a gut-wrenching 78-77 win over Notre Dame in a Class 4A Waukegan Sectional semifinal.
“They are a fantastic team,” Stevenson senior guard Jalen Brunson said. “We barely snuck by.”
It appeared the No. 1-seeded Patriots would steamroll the No. 4 Dons when the fourth quarter began. In the third quarter, Stevenson flipped the game’s momentum. A 43-38 Notre Dame lead with 6:44 left became 62-52 Patriots when the quarter’s final buzzer sounded. Brunson led the charge, scoring 15 points in the quarter.
Stevenson (26-3) extended the lead to 64-52 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. But then the Dons (28-5) marched back. A putback by Notre Dame senior guard Joe Mooney capped a 10-2 run, and with 3:38 left in the game, Stevenson’s lead was trimmed to 66-62.
But Stevenson put the ball in the hands of its superstar. On the ensuing possession, Brunson was fouled and sank two free throws. Those were the first of 14 free throw attempts by Brunson and senior guard Connor Cashaw over the final three minutes of regulation. They made 12.
“They are used to it. We want to delay, we want to keep the basketball in their hands,” Patriots coach Pat Ambrose said. “Jalen missed one and Connor missed some early in the game, but they are clutch.”
Brunson’s missed free throw (9-of-10 for the game) with 15 seconds left gave Notre Dame the ball and a chance to tie. With the score 78-75, Mooney missed a three-point shot that was tipped by the Patriots. The Dons got one last possession, and made a layup under the basket for the final score of the game.
“[Notre Dame] came back stronger than we thought. We just have to close out better,” said Brunson, who finished with 41 points to match his season high.
Stevenson plays Friday night in the sectional final. The Patriots will face the winner of the other semifinal game between Lake Forest and Evanston, which will be played Wednesday night.
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Jon Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.