Geneva’s Mitch Mascari felt almost helpless having to watch Downers Grove North stage a massive comeback.
Saddled with foul trouble, the 6-foot-4 senior forward went scoreless for more than 27 minutes Friday night.
But he made up for lost time.
Mascari converted four free throws in the final 22.4 seconds and blocked a potential game-tying 3-pointer to clinch a 75-70 victory in the Class 4A Bartlett Sectional championship game.
Geneva (32-1) will play at 7:30 Tuesday against Rockford East in the Northern Illinois Supersectional at DeKalb.
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Mascari finished with 10 points and six rebounds.
“That was a very strange situation for me because I never get into foul trouble,” Mascari said. “It was not fun not being able to play, but I knew at some point they were going to need me.”
His free throws marked his first points since he made consecutive 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the game.
Mascari also contested a 3-pointer by Semaj Henderson that thwarted Downers North’s final opportunity to force overtime.
Mascari’s subsequent free throws sealed Geneva’s first sectional title since the 2014-15 team finished fourth in the state in 4A.
“I saw that the first 3-pointer they took was short and there was a scramble for the ball,” Mascari said. “I knew Semaj was going to take it, and I was able to get out and make the play.”
Senior guard Jack McDonald put on a riveting performance in scoring a team-best 29 points. He also contributed eight assists, five rebounds and four steals.
McDonald’s final basket gave the Vikings a 70-66 lead with 48 seconds remaining. He fouled out seconds later.
“My role is to get everybody involved,” McDonald said. “By the end, I was just trying to weather the storm and limit their run, and we did just enough to get the win.”
McDonald orchestrated a 19-4 spurt in the second quarter that put the Vikings up 41-23 at halftime. Geneva led by as many as 21 points in the third.
Trey Boston hit seven 3-pointers in scoring a game-high 35 points for Downers North (23-12).
Junior forward Joshua Preston scored 10 points for Geneva. Senior guard Garrett Sneed added eight.
“We played 10 guys (Friday) and I think every single one of contributed something to the victory,” Geneva coach Scott Hennig said. “It shows the kind of tough, hard-nosed kids we have.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.