Waubonsie Valley recovers in time to edge Palatine
The Waubonsie Valley boys basketball team almost, but not quite, let one get away.
The Warriors led 26-10 with 1:05 left in the first half in tournament play Saturday at Palatine. With 1:57 left in the game, the host Pirates managed a 46-44 lead after 2 free throws were made by Matt Garner.
Garner went to the line following a hard foul that had Warriors coach Jason Mead fuming.
"The best thing I did at that point was to call a timeout," said Mead. "I had to calm down, and so did the team. We didn't play well and we let their comeback get to us. After the timeout, we settled down."
Junior forward Chuck Robinson gave Waubonsie the lead for good at 47-46 with 1:39 remaining on a 3-point play and the Warriors went on to beat the Pirates 53-46.
Waubonsie Valley finished the annual Ed Molitor Thanksgiving Tournament at 2-2 while Palatine dropped to 1-3.
Brian Phillips, Luke Gregorio and Eric Cannon each hit 2 free throws down the stretch while holding Palatine scoreless.
Gregorio's free throws were key after Palatine turned the ball over with :29 second left and the 2 free throws gave the Warriors a 51-46 lead.
Robinson came up with a big fourth quarter, keeping Waubonsie Valley ahead by scoring 11 of his 16 points. He also had 10 rebounds.
"I've been very surprised by the way he has learned how to finish plays and the game," said Mead a Hoffman Estates graduate. "He brings energy to the floor and is a very good rebounder. He's very tough-minded."
"After the hard foul," said Robinson, "we realized we couldn't keep making mental mistakes and win the game. We really weren't rotating the ball and looking for the best shot. When we took the lead we knew we had to finish strong and not let them get back in the game. We executed at the foul line when we had to."
The Warriors hit 11 of 13 free throws in the fourth quarter and 17 of 22 for the game.
Scott Elter (15 points) began the Palatine comeback with back-to-back 3s to finish off the first half, cutting the lead to 26-16 at the break.
The Pirates cut the gap to 34-28 after three quarters, with Elter hitting 3 free throws with :17 left in the quarter.
With Waubonsie leading 44-40, Palatine went on a 6-0 to take the lead but could not sustain the momentum.
"The effort was good for us," said Palatine coach Eric Millstone. "Our goal was to play a little better in each game, which I think we did. We didn't have much practice time with the players who played football. With a full week of practice, we should start to play better."
Lamon Berry, who had a solid tournament, added 13 for Palatine.
Phillips had 10 points and 8 rebounds. Cannon added 8 points for the Warriors, who out-rebounded Palatine 30-12.