advertisement

Mundelein downs Libertyville in OT

After battling back and forth for four quarters and overtime, this was going to be a very tough loss for one team when host Libertyville met rival Mundelein Tuesday night in North Suburban Conference boys basketball action.

And when all was said and done with a lot of drama until the very end, it was the visiting Mustangs that pulled out an exciting 66-63 NSC overtime victory over the Wildcats.

Mundelein sophomore teammates Scottie Ebube (28 points) and Conor Enright (25 points) were the big difference makers for Mundelein (17-9, 5-6) as they combined for 53 points.

Libertyville (12-12, 4-7) was led by a herculean effort from senior guard Josh Steinhaus with 20 of his a team-high 28 points in the second half. But Steinhaus' off-balance 3-pointer as the overtime buzzer sounded was in and out as the Mustangs celebrated the narrow victory.

The game went back and forth the whole way with Mundelein leading 7-0 only to see Libertyville go on a 13-point run.

The Wildcats led 16-15 after one quarter, and 29-25 at halftime before tying their biggest lead at 41-29 late in the third quarter.

Ebube hit an off-balance 10-footer to end the third quarter down 41-38 before Enright's fourth 3-pointer capped a 12-point Mundelein run to tie the score at 41-41 with 7:42 to play.

Libertyville's Jackson Watson (18 points) hit his fifth 3-pointer for a 44-41 lead. But neither team could pull away as Steinhaus had three huge driving baskets down the stretch.

Down 56-53 with 13 seconds left in regulation, Enright hit a 3-pointer with a defender all over him to force a 56-56 deadlock as Steinhaus' 3-pointer was blocked at the fourth-quarter buzzer.

"We've been in a lot of these this year and we learn a lot from these games," said Libertyville coach Brian Zyrkowski. "Moving forward, being in these games prepares you for the playoffs. Josh Steinhaus has caused a lot of matchup nightmares for opposing teams, and he knew what he had to do."

Starters Will Moore and Travis Clark both fouled out for the Wildcats late in the fourth quarter before Mundelein's Andrew Gonzalez started the overtime with a 3-pointer.

Then Steinhaus hit 2 free throws before Enright hit 1-of-2 free throws for a 60-58 edge. Enright scored on a drive before Steinhaus and Ebube traded 2 free throws each for a 64-60 Mundelein lead.

Steinhaus hit a step-back 3-pointer to cut the gap to 64-63 with 16 seconds left. But a fastbreak basket by Enright with seven seconds to go gave the Mustangs a 66-63 lead. Steinhaus' desperation 3-pointer almost sent the game to double overtime.

"It was awesome, much needed, and it was a great comeback victory too," said Enright, whose team beat Libertyville 55-48 on Jan 11. "It's just really exciting in high school with the atmosphere here, and it was nice because they beat us twice last year."

Jack Bikus added 6 points for Mundelein, including a huge 3 late in the fourth quarter while Patrick Graham chipped in 6 points for Libertyville.

"We started the game on a good note and we kind of hit a lull, but that shows how evenly matched these two teams are," said Mundelein coach Matt Badgley. "We kind of knew it was going to be a grinder, and they (Ebube and Enright) are clearly the glue of our team."

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.