Hersey makes it a 'sweep' week by dumping Prospect again
Friday was a big night for the Hersey boys basketball team for several reasons.
The Huskies came back in the fourth quarter to defeat upset-minded Prospect 56-49 in the Mid-Suburban East. It was the second victory this week against the Knights as Hersey won 54-47 on Monday.
The win kept the Huskies (9-2, 5-1) within striking distance of Rolling Meadows in the East race.
It also marked the first time since the 2005-2006 season that Hersey swept the season series from the Knights.
Senior forward Griffin Ginder played a key role in the win.
Ginder, a University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse recruit sank a 3-pointer to tie the game at 49 with 3:05 left in the game. Moments later, Ginder assisted Andrew Wagner's basket that broke the tie with 2:21 left for a 51-49 lead.
"On the missed shot," said Ginder, "Drew tapped the ball back to me. I had my feet set and I was stepping into the shot. I just felt it. It was a big energy changer on those two plays."
Prospect battled from behind several times to tie or take the lead. After Ginder's basket the Knights were not able to score.
"Ginder was very good tonight," said Prospect coach John Camardella of Ginder's 11 points and 7 rebounds.
Prospect (3-4, 3-2) trailed 42-34 following a 3-pointer by Wagner to start the fourth quarter.
The Knights came up with an 11-0 run to lead 45-42 with 5:14 remaining in the game.
"They made a run and we knew we had to come back with a run of our own," said Ginder. "We finished with a 10-0. After a long week like this you could see the trust we had in each other."
The Huskies went 4-0 with wins Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
"Griffin Ginder is the last of the steam engines," said Hersey coach Austin Scott. "He goes after every rebound. Tonight he hits that 3 pointer. He kept that play alive and assisted on Wagner's basket. You win with guys like that."
Ethan Roberts had another strong game with 22 points for the Huskies. Ben Randall added 9 points.
"Ethan does what Ethan does," said Scott. "He's a winner. At the start of the season he said he would do whatever it takes to win and he's lived by that."
Owen Schneider led Prospect with 18 points and Chase Larsen added 11 points and 5 rebounds.
"Hersey presented a formidable challenge," said Camardella. "They are well coached. They are long, athletic, and skilled."
"Prospect came out and really gave us a good shot tonight," said Scott. "They are a really good team. They swung hard. They had no quit. This week showed that we believe in each other. When you get players playing for each other special things happen."