Schaumburg savors a big win
Coaches like to say that a win is a win.
While that may be true in a technical sense, for coach Wade Heisler and his Schaumburg boys basketball team, a 40-38 win over visiting Fremd on Friday night carried a little more meaning.
Maybe a lot more.
"It's big," the third-year Saxons coach said with a smile after the game.
How big?
Well, in addition to nabbing their first Mid-Suburban West win of the season, the Saxons ended a nine-game losing streak to the Vikings that stretched back to Jan. 11, 2013 when Heisler was serving as an assistant coach.
Schaumburg went on to earn a 19-10 mark that year as they repeated as MSL champs in what turned out to be the program's last winning season to date.
"We've been pushing our kids to get to that higher level and to maintain that level of play, and you could see those results tonight," Heisler said.
The attempt to attain that level got tested early in in the second quarter after a Dean Ganas 3 had the defending MSL West champs up 16-6.
Saxons 6-1 junior guard Michael Hodges had 5 straight points, topped by a successful drive inside the paint with 3:36 left until halftime, pulling the Saxons (4-8, 1-3) withing 16-11.
Schaumburg pulled within 18-14 at intermission on the first of three 3s from 6-foot senior guard Dom Tyler with 13 seconds left in the half.
Tyler connected on his final 3 of the night to give Schaumburg its first lead of the game at 22-20 with 4:24 to play in the third.
Fremd went on a 9-3 surge to take a 29-25 advantage into the final quarter on the strength of 6 points from Bryce Hopkins, who finished with a game-high 19.
The 6-4 junior forward gave the Vikings (7-3, 2-2) their last lead of the night at 37-36 when he scored his final basket on a reverse layup with 1:50 left.
But that lead would remain for only 28 seconds, as 6-8 Saxons freshman Chris Hodges (Michael's younger brother, who finished with 11 points) scored on a putback that gave Schaumburg the lead for good at 38-37.
After the elder Hodges brother connected twice at the foul line with 24 seconds remaining to expand the lead to 40-37, Hopkins hit 1 of 2 at the foul line to close the gap to 40-38 with 15 seconds left.
The game's final scene took place after a missed Schaumburg free throw with 10 seconds left. Hopkins drove the length of the floor after snaring his fourth rebound of night - only to see his 15-footer clank off the rim. Isaiah Turner's putback attempt had the same fate as the buzzer sounded.
Michael Hodges credited the victory to his team's collective effort on the defensive end. Schaumburg held Fremd to 38 percent shooting (15-for-40) from the floor, including 2-for-11 from 3-point range. The Saxons also out-rebounded the Vikings 27-17.
"It's where we were able to get things started," Michael Hodges said. "We dominated on the glass, we helped each other out on the perimeter, we took a lot of charges, really hustled for every loose ball. Those gave us a chance for those big moments later on."
Heisler agreed, saying the successful second-half push also helped Schaumburg get better looks at the bucket.
"It all goes back to gaining confidence and holding on to it," Heisler said. "It can make all the difference out there."
To Fremd coach Bob Widlowski, whose team fell for the second time in its last three games, it was simply a case of an effort deficit.
"They (Schaumburg) brought it to us tonight," Widlowski said. "They outhustled us, they outrebounded us and outplayed us. You're not gonna win very many times when that happens."
Both teams return to action after Christmas.
Schaumburg makes the trek to the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic at York High in Elmhurst and will play a 9 a.m. Tuesday opener versus St. Ignatius.
Fremd will begin the defense of its Wheeling Hardwood Classic title with a 7:15 p.m. Wednesday date against the host Wildcats.