Fremd's numbers add up to regional title

What do you call a team that shoots 75 percent on 3-pointers, limits the opposition to 19 percent and outrebounds its opponent 24-13?

How about champions of the Class 4A Barrington regional?

And that would be Fremd, after its 64-47 win over Prospect.

The Vikings (22-6) move on to their own sectional for a semifinal with Lake Zurich on Wednesday night.

Fremd just wants to know if this is the year it breaks through at last after so many years of dominant teams and sparkling records.

Junior guard Kyle Sliwa (16 points) definitely thinks so.

He didn't hesitate to say, when asked, "I think we can go all the way downstate," after they had played like it.

And why not, with their playing philosophy and execution?

"Our whole philosophy has been defense," he continued, noting the Vikes' specialize in turning defense into offense.

His coach agrees.

"We really emphasize defense," said Bob Widlowski, who continues to pile up impressive won-lost records year after year at Fremd.

Widlowski added to that lore Friday night as his team limited Prospect to 15-of-39 shooting.

Only high-scorer Frankie Mack, as he always does, broke through with a 19-point effort and near .500 shooting from the floor.

But even he was hounded all night, with the hand of either Ryan Martin or Luke Schoffstall in his face.

Meanwhile, Patrick Benka (11 points) and Brian Dompke (19) were dominating around the basket.

Dompke had two putback baskets in the first half and Benka another, along with a length-of-the-court steal for a basket.

But it was senior sharpshooter Connor Simios who enabled Fremd to put some distance between them and Prospect (15-12). His three consecutive 3-pointers helped turn an 8-7 Prospect lead into a 26-21 Fremd advantage at halftime.

"Connor Simios was a separator for us tonight," Widlowski said. "That was a big step up."

Sliwa took it from there on the perimeter, hitting all three of his fourth-quarter field goals, two of them 3-pointers, on open looks earned with sharp ball movement.

His 3-pointer to open the quarter gave Fremd its first double-digit lead and it only stretched from there as he hit another for 45-32 advantage.

Mack's continuing attacks on the basket for Prospect - he had 8 fourth-quarter points - just weren't enough.

But still, it was defense that Sliwa had on his mind.

"We had to keep the ball in front of us," at all times," Sliwa explained of the defensive sets designed by assistant coach Mike Brown to stop Prospect's dangerous outside shooters.

And Prospect got few second chances while Benka and Dompke seemingly got all they wanted.

"You have to give Fremd credit," said Prospect coach John Camardella. "We shot 19 percent on 3-pointers. They shot 75 percent.

"I just want to say how proud I was of my players. I told them to be proud of the effort."

And although he'll return so many underclassmen who saw significant playing - like Matt Szuba (5 points), Dave Swedura (10) and of course Mack - Camardella still credited seniors such as Alec Busiel, Liam Benson and injured star Dan Marshall with being inspirations for the team.

Widlowski, meanwhile, credited his veteran seniors for keeping the team motivated in good part.

"The seniors set the competitive attitude," he said about players such as Benka, Payton Kim, Conner Simios and Samson Oladimeji.

So, are these the guys to make this the one team for Fremd?

"This is the team," Sliwa said.

"I really like the competitive attitude," Widlowski said.