Joliet West had no trouble getting to the free-throw line Saturday. What happened when the Tigers got there caused big problems.
The No. 6 Tigers blew a shot at a win against No. 4 Young by making only 14 of its 41 free throws as the Dolphins won 73-64 at the When Sides Collide event at Glenbard East in Lombard.
“We know why we lost the game,” Joliet West coach Nick DiForti said. “Captain Obvious would say we should shoot more free throws in practice. Believe me, we shoot plenty.”
Young (14-4) continued the beautiful basketball it has been playing of late in the first half, sharing the ball on offense and getting after it on defense. A Javon Freeman free throw put the Dolphins ahead 36-18 with 2 minutes left in the second quarter, and Young took a 38-23 lead at halftime.
Joliet West (17-2) answered with a 12-minute push that showed why the Tigers are serious state contenders. They cut the deficit to 53-46 after three quarters, then took a 57-56 lead with 4 minutes to play on Eddie Creal’s steal and layup.
Lucas Williamson, who has come up big for Young all season, did so again with a putback that gave his team a 60-59 lead and two free throws that made it 62-59 with 3 minutes left.
The Tigers were stuck on 59 for more than two minutes as Young stretched its lead back to nine points. During that stretch, Joliet West missed 10 consecutive free throws.
“We knew they were getting to the line a lot, so we were upset about that,” said Williamson, who scored a game-high 21 points. “Then they kept missing, but I had no idea it was that many in a row.”
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Star guard Teyvion Kirk missed six of the 10 in the span and finished 4-for-15 from the line, accounting for 11 of his team’s 27 missed free throws.
“They kept going in and out, so I was getting extra frustrated,” said Kirk, who battled foul trouble all game and fouled out with 1:22 to play. “It happens to the best of us though. I just have to bounce back the next game.”
Both teams battled foul trouble, but Young’s depth allowed it to better handle the situation. The Dolphins’ bench outscored Joliet West’s 20-6, and Young shot 23-for-36 at the foul line.
“This was a big win for us,” said Williamson, who was 10-for-14 on free throws. “That’s a good team. But I don’t think anybody in our locker room is surprised where we are right now. This is the type of season we’re built to have.”
Twitter @Larkin_Will
Player of the game: Lucas Williamson, Young, 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists.
Key performers: Young — Javon Freeman, 12 points, 8 rebounds; Craig Beaudion, 12 points. Joliet West — Trevian Bell, 19 points, 5 rebounds; Tabyous Casterberry, 13 points, 6 rebounds; Eddie Creal, 11 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists.