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Waukegan improvises big finish against Carmel

There's a drill that the Waukegan boys basketball team does every day in practice called "cut-throat."

It's an exercise in hustle and determination, a game of "who wants the ball more" as it gets rolled and bounced around amidst a mad scramble of bodies.

Whoever comes up with the ball needs to make a "something-out-of-nothing" play, a shot under duress as the clock is ticking its final seconds.

Waukegan senior center Cameron Miller was able to do just that on Wednesday night. This time, in a game situation. He tracked down a bobbling, bouncing, rolling ball in the lane, flipped up a floater that dropped through the net with 2 seconds remaining and lifted Waukegan to a 46-45 win over Carmel in the third round of the Grant Thanksgiving Tournament.

The victory moves Waukegan to 2-1 on the season. Carmel drops to 0-3.

"We work on that cut-throat drill for about 15 minutes a day," said Miller, who scored a game-high 15 points. "We're just tipping the ball around, creating the scenario of a last-second scramble. It just really came into play right there.

"I kind of knew (that the shot was going in). I have no problem taking the last shot. But honestly, we should have never had to be in that situation. Our poise kind of broke down."

Waukegan was up by as many as 10 points in the second quarter and 8 points in the third quarter but Carmel clawed back in. The Corsairs outscored Waukegan 10-3 to open the fourth quarter. That gave Carmel a 45-44 lead with about two minutes left to play.

Eight of the Corsairs' 10 points during that stretch were free throws, four each by Shareif Belser-Bailey and Brian Julien, both of whom finished the game with 10 points.

"We were down the whole game and we just had to fight," Belser-Bailey said. "It's been a struggle these last few games just getting through the beginnings of our season and getting used to playing with each other and some new guys.

"I was pretty upset when I saw (Miller) put up his shot. I knew it was going in, and we had fought so hard (to come back). It's a tough loss, but we'll come back Friday. We're progressing. We're getting better and we're going to get it right."

Waukegan is prepared for some growing pains, too. The Bulldogs start freshman Bryant Brown and give major minutes to two other freshmen, Ja'Dyn Brown and Jordan Brown.

Bryant Brown scored 11 points and Ja'Dyn Brown had a big 3-pointer at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

"We were in control of the game for long stretches, and then had our backs against the wall a little bit and to win a close game like this was huge for our confidence, especially for (the freshmen)," Waukegan coach Ron Ashlaw said. "It's absolutely huge."

Despite a loss that keeps Carmel winless, coach Zach Ryan sees progress out of his team as well.

"It was just a loose ball here, a loose ball there, something small like that was the difference between us winning and losing. The last play was that," Ryan said. "When you're not playing particularly well, those things tend to happen more.

"But I can't be upset. We fought and we battled. A loss like that should play dividends down the road for us."

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