Lisle's Basnight calm at the line in second OT
Lisle's Elisha Basnight kept his head amid the bedlam.
Fouled by Westmont in the left corner while launching what would have been a miraculous 3-pointer, the senior guard hit two free throws with 0.1 seconds left in double overtime. Host Lisle's 70-69 win Friday dashed any hope its archrival had of an Interstate Eight Conference title share in both teams' regular-season finale.
"It feels good, but we practice them every single day," said Basnight, whose 19 points led Lisle (13-13, 7-3). "I'm just being humble right now, thanking everybody who supported us. It's awesome to be the one to shoot those free throws."
There were many to thank. After Westmont (23-6, 7-3) missed its last-gasp heave Lisle students stormed the court from several directions.
"I do think that's the loudest this gym has ever been since I've been here, when he hit that second free throw," said Lions' 13-year coach Mark LaScala.
Sentinels senior Caden Anderson has played Lisle more than a dozen times over four years as a starter.
"This is one of the best ones, the competitiveness throughout, the runs everyone made," he said. "They'd go up by 6 or 8 then we'd come back, tie it, go up 6 or 8. No one ever gave up the whole time. The ball didn't bounce our way at the end."
Basnight's second free throw was the 24th lead change in a game that also featured 17 tie scores.
Anderson's inside basket with 46 seconds left in regulation tied the game 51-51. With 47.3 seconds left in the first overtime, Westmont's Matt O'Leary, who scored 18 points with 5 steals, hit a 3 from the right to tie 58-58.
With 56.4 seconds left in double overtime, Westmont's top scorer, Michael Thompson with 19 points, made a free throw for a 67-63 lead. Lisle junior guard Demetrius King Jr., scoreless the first 32 minutes, countered with his third 3-pointer of overtime play.
"We practice hitting open shots in practice all day. It's routine," King said.
Lisle was called for an intentional foul but Westmont could convert only two free throws with 20.8 seconds left, Troy Schlicher giving the Sentinels a 69-66 lead.
Lisle 13-point scorer Connor Webb made it 69-68 on a spin move in the lane with 13.1 seconds left. A Westmont miss set up Basnight's tying and winning free throws.
"We know all of them, so we know everything they do, and just going in there, beating our rivals is a lot of fun," said Lisle's Nick Martich, whose three-point play was Lisle's final score in regulation.
He made two key baskets in the first overtime.
Westmont coach Craig Etheridge said it was a game the Sentinels "gave away." Revenge may be possible at the Class 2A Beecher regional, where No. 1 seed Westmont and No. 4 Lisle could play for the regional title.
"It's exciting, it's fun, but it certainly would have been more fun walking out winners tonight," Etheridge said.