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Kim helps Fremd edge Schaumburg

It was not quite how the Fremd boys basketball team envisioned its first Friday night home game of the season playing out, but they will take the final result all the same.

And for the brave souls who ventured out in subzero temperatures to watch the Vikings tussle with the visiting Schaumburg Saxons in Mid-Suburban West action, Payton Kim sent at least the home crowd away happy.

The Vikings junior forward drilled a game winning 3-pointer with just one second to go in regulation to lift Fremd (12-3, 3-1) to a stirring 52-51 come-from-behind victory and send Schaumburg (6-8, 1-2) to its third straight defeat.

"From where I was standing, the ball looked like it was going in," said Kim. "But I wasn't 100 percent sure until it finally went in."

Things looked bleak in the fourth quarter after the Vikings, which led 42-37 to start the period, turned the ball over with 1:15 to play and found themselves trailing 49-44.

However, the defense rose to the occasion and forced two successive turnovers of its own that led to a game-tying triple by sophomore Kyle Silwa to knot the game at 49-49 with just 43 seconds to go.

"We executed very well (at the end)," said Fremd coach Bob Widlowski. "We practice that situation up and down quite a bit … and we were fortunate to come out of here with a win."

Schaumburg regained the lead 51-49 after senior point guard Demetrios Roumbos (10 points) sank a pair of free throws just 10 seconds later, giving Fremd plenty of time to tie or take the lead.

But on its ensuing trip up the court, senior guard Xavier Williams (10 points) was whistled for a charge, giving the Saxons the ball with under 20 seconds to play.

However, after Fremd quickly fouled, Schaumburg senior guard Charlie Quilico missed the front end of a one-and-one with 17.9 seconds left, giving the Vikings yet another chance- one that Kim would take full advantage off.

As Fremd moved the ball into the frontcourt, Williams slashed towards the basket for a layup that was too strong. Junior forward Patrick Benka grabbed the rebound, but had his shot partially blocked. But Benka (10 points) stayed with it and corralled the loose ball, finding a wide-open Kim (11 points, all in the second half) for the dagger.

"(At the end) We talked about continuing to fight, to trap, get a loose ball, and make that extra play," said Kim. "We didn't play to our potential, but we got the win."

The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the visitors, who trailed 22-21 at intermission and looked as though they were about to get a huge road victory.

"That was one of the best games we played all year," said Schaumburg coach Marty Manning. "We made a lot of mental errors down the stretch that cost us the game … we gave up some easy baskets that we talked about avoiding in practice. "Defensively, we still have a ways to go."

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