After more than four decades at St. Joseph, Gene Pingatore still coaches from his gut.
Pingatore decided to make a switch to his starting lineup for Tuesday’s Class 3A Hoffman Estates Supersectional, his team’s biggest game of the season to that point.
Lavon Thomas, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward, has been one of Pingatore’s starters for most of the season. But after seeing video of St. Patrick, Pingatore said he decided to give 6-2 senior guard Jarviss Sutton the start over Thomas.
Sutton scored five points in St. Joseph’s 39-38 victory and was part of a stifling man-to-man defense that limited the Shamrocks to 3-for-5 shooting in a pivotal third quarter. That’s when the Chargers outscored St. Patrick 16-6.
With the win, St. Joseph advanced to play Rockford Lutheran (30-2) in the state semifinals. The game will be played at 2 p.m. Friday at Carver Arena in Peoria.
“I think coach Pingatore liked a faster lineup, which is why he had four guards on the court,” Sutton said. “We were able to push the ball and get into transition. When we’re better in transition, we get wins.”
More Top Picks Best Desk Chairs For Teens
St. Joseph (23-8) was scheduled to play North Lawndale in the Westinghouse Sectional final on Friday, but that game was canceled after Chicago Public Schools officials suspended North Lawndale from the playoffs after a brawl ended its sectional semifinal game against Marshall.
With the evening off, Pingatore and his staff attended St. Patrick’s 48-33 win against Lakes in the Vernon Hills Sectional final on Friday. Seeing the Shamrocks in person reaffirmed Pingatore’s plan.
“They were definitely smaller,” Pingatore said of St. Patrick, whose tallest starter in the supersectional was 6-4 senior Duncan White. “I was not sure about Lavon on defense, so we decided to go with Jarviss.”
Thomas was St. Joseph’s first player off the bench, but did not enter the game until the second quarter.
Sutton’s points against St. Patrick came in the first quarter when he made 2-of-3 free throws after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt. Sutton followed less than two minutes later with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 7-7.
There is no guarantee that Sutton will be the fifth starter when St. Joseph plays Rockford Lutheran.
“I like being out there as a starter,” Sutton said. “It’s definitely a different role. Starting is better. I think I get better shots.”
Twitter: @geomwilcox