Dekorsi, Buffalo Grove top Prospect in OT

Memo to the Mid-Suburban East: Buffalo Grove is on the move.

The Bison played their best boys basketball game of the year Saturday night, rallying from down 38-21 in the third quarter for a stunning 62-59 overtime victory over visiting Prospect.

Even at 5-12 overall and 2-4 in the division, you'd have thought the boisterous young post-game Bison had just clinched the league title.

Sophomore point guard Collin Dekorsi stood tallest with 30 clutch points, including a pair of fourth-quarter 3-pointers that knotted the game and 4 overtime free throws that helped build a virtually insurmountable lead.

"I was feeling it. This is our biggest win in a while. I don't think our basketball team beats Prospect a lot," he noted.

In point of fact, the seniors had never beaten the Knights (8-8, 3-3).

It took an improbable rally to do it. The Bison closed to 40-33 after three on Colin Calcagno's 3-point shooting and pulled ahead despite Kyle Beyak's (19 points) repeatedly clutch free throws shooting. Center Hans Haller found the range inside against Prospect's foul-plagued big guys, including a huge basket on a pretty feed from Conner Reed to make it 49-45.

Dekorsi's 3 tied the game at 53-53, but Haller, awarded a free throw on Dekorsi's trey, missed it but came back to stuff a Prospect 3-point attempt just before the buzzer.

In overtime, it looked like Prospect would take control when Grant Miller nailed a 3, but Haller calmly hit 2 free throws and Dekorsi hit 4 of 6 more before Ryan Williams nervously iced it in the final moment with 1 of 2, although his huge defensive play, blocking a shot by Beyak, was a big boost.

The Bison told themselves, "We're just going to run our plays," said Dekorsi, even when they were down 17. "This group of kids has never beaten Prospect. We had a great week of practice."

"It was a methodical comeback by BG," said Prospect coach John Camardella, whose team in the second half had 3 assists and committed 10 turnovers. "We didn't help ourselves."

The improbable loss came despite Beyak's steady game and a great bench performance, particularly from Ernest Kiseliovas, who had 16 points, 14 in the second quarter on a Klay Thompson-like shooting performance from the perimeter.

"We're getting production from all over," said Camardella.

The problem has been finishing, as the Knights suffered a third straight loss.

"We stole it, said Dekorsi.