Even when he was mired in a recent shooting slump, junior guard Jakeem Cole believed in himself. He was never shaken, thanks to some help from his Leo teammates and coaches.
“I’ve kept that confidence,” Cole said. “It’s actually been challenging for me this season. I’ve been shooting the ball poorly.
“But I’ve got good teammates and good coaches who keep telling me to shoot the ball. I keep believing I’m going to make the shots.”
Cole knocked down those shots Friday night, scoring 23 points to lead host Leo to a 72-64 Catholic League Blue victory over Mount Carmel in Chicago.
Cole was tough to stop outside and inside. After hitting a pair of early 3-pointers, he started driving around defenders and using his speed to get the basket regularly for layups.
“‘Ja’ is a shooter,” Leo coach Jamal Thompson said. “He’s been in a slump lately, but guess what? We all have confidence in him.
“I tell him all the time, ‘Shoot the ball with confidence. I don’t care if you miss it. You’re one of the best shooters in the Catholic League, so continue to shoot the basketball.'”
Cam Cleveland added 14 points for Leo (14-3, 9-0), while Christian Brockett and Austin Ford each had nine points. Ford grabbed five rebounds.
DeAndre Craig finished with 21 points and six rebounds to lead Mount Carmel (19-3, 6-3). Elijah Jointer added 14 points and 16 rebounds. Angelo Ciaravino contributed 11 points and six rebounds, while Eddy Lyons scored 10 points.
It was the second consecutive loss and third defeat in the last four Catholic League games for the Caravan, who had been 17-0 and 5-0 in conference.
“Sure, you want to win, but there’s absolutely no concerns,” Mount Carmel coach Phil Segroves said. “We played with more energy than we have the entire year. We just have to get over that hump and we will.
“We have good shooters on our team and great basketball players. If we start knocking down some shots, we’re going to be right back where we were a week or two ago.”
Leo never trailed, but Mount Carmel got within 45-43 with 3:20 left in the third quarter.
Cole answered with a 3-point play to spark a 7-0 run in just 23 seconds. It was one of several quick outbursts for Leo behind a pressing defense that forced 16 turnovers.
“We can definitely go on those flurries,” Cleveland said. “All teams make a run. Basketball is a game of runs. We have to expect it and match their energy and do more than they are.”
Cole had another big basket with 3 seconds left in the third to push the lead to 54-48. He added six points in the fourth quarter, hitting four free throws in the final 2:15 to help seal the win.
Cole also responded to the challenge of facing off with the high-scoring Craig in the backcourt.
“I’m always up for good competition,” Cole said. “I’m ready to play against the good people and see where my game is at.”
Segroves saw his team get sloppy at times against the Leo press, especially late.
“What hurt us is when we cut the lead down to 45-43 and then we turned the ball over three or four times in a row against their pressure,” Segroves said. “All high school teams work a lot on press break. We weren’t ready for it in certain places. I take full responsibility for that.
“We have to get back in the gym and be ready for a short turnaround (Saturday). There’s no time to feel sorry for ourselves.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.