Roosevelt’s Marquise Smith couldn’t believe he ended up with a second chance.
After missing a potential game-tying free throw with eight seconds left, the 6-foot-3 senior forward snagged the rebound and was fouled again, earning two more attempts at the line to put his team in front.
“I lined up with the free-throw line because, the first time, I was a little crooked,” Smith said. “I made sure I was lined up and then put a little arc on it to make sure it went in.”
Smith sank both free throws in the sequence, providing the points that clinched Roosevelt’s 57-56 win over East Chicago Central during the Lakeshore Classic hosted by West Side.
It was the second game for Roosevelt (1-1), but the first for Smith, who’s coming off a mid-August foot fracture.
“I’ve been gone for so long,” Smith said. “I really wanted to play against Bowman (on Monday), but I couldn’t. This is a really good win for us.”
East Chicago (0-1) had a possible last gasp after Smith’s free throws, but a pass sailed out of bounds as time expired. That late mistake was indicative of the problems the inexperienced Cardinals faced all game.
“My boys are new — they’re still jelling,” East Chicago coach Marcus Jefferson said. “This was just the first one. I think it’s a learn, not a loss.”
Jefferson was the coach at Roosevelt for the last four seasons before accepting the job at his alma mater in the offseason. And he was on his way to a season-opening victory when East Chicago took a 31-22 halftime lead.
By the end of the third quarter, East Chicago’s nine-point halftime lead had dwindled to one. The teams exchanged leads in the fourth before Smith’s late free throws put Roosevelt ahead for good.
“We took advantage of them not getting back fast enough on defense,” Jefferson said. “And we get some easy layups. But having such a lot of young guys, we depended a lot on the big shots.
“But it’s still early. I have high expectations for this group.”
Senior forward Latrell Williams kept the Panthers in the game with 12 points and 12 rebounds in the first half, finishing with game highs of 20 and 18, respectively.
“He has a D-1 basketball body and a great basketball IQ,” Roosevelt coach James Scott said of Williams. “He’s going to be our leader.”
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Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.