Clutch plays by Cole, Sinik lifts Streamwood over Jacobs
It had been 23 years since Streamwood boys basketball coach Kent Payne felt that winning playoff feeling.
Payne notched his first IHSA postseason victory since he coached Addison Trail in 1996, thanks late heroics from 6-foot-7 senior forwards Keenon Cole and Nikola Sinik.
Cole gave No. 8 Streamwood the late lead and Sinik made it stand up in the final minute of a 74-70 victory over No. 10 Jacobs at the Class 4A South Elgin regional.
Cole, a 6-foot-7 forward committed to Northern Illinois, scored 33 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. His biggest bucket came on a baseline move that staked Streamwood to a 69-67 lead with 1:30 to play.
"I knew that if I scored inside, dominated inside, it would be a good game for us and we'd get the 'dub," he said.
Sinik, who scored 9 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, scored in transition with 49 seconds remaining, a play sparked by a Jakobi Strong steal.
However, senior guard Matt McCoy drilled a 3-pointer at the other end, his fifth, to draw No. 10 Jacobs (13-18) within 71-70 with 22 seconds left.
Streamwood inbounded against a full-court press. Cole dribbled in the backcourt and spotted Sinik behind the defense. He drove to the bucket, missed, got the rebound, scored, drew the foul and completed the three-point play with 11 seconds left to establish the final margin.
"I didn't have that big of a first half, so I knew I needed to step up in the second half for us to win this game," Sinik said.
Little went right for Jacobs down the stretch. The Golden Eagles turned the ball over six times in the fourth quarter, including four miscues in five possessions late in the game.
"At the end of the day when it comes down to these situations, you're going to be what you are," Jacobs coach Jimmy Roberts said. "Unfortunately, a little too much this year, that's what we were. We were really, really close but couldn't find a way to finish at the end. Our younger guys need to remember that when it comes to our habits every single day."
Streamwood advances to face No. 1 subsectional seed Cary-Grove (20-7) today at 7 p.m. Payne and the Sabres will savor Monday's playoff win in the meantime.
"It was great, not so much for me, but for the kids because we've worked them hard," Payne said. "Nikola and Zach (Marquez), half the time they hate me because I'm always on them. A quarter of the time they love me. I'm proud of them all. They played hard."
Marquez scored 16 points for Streamwood.
Junior Jaden Henderson led the Golden Eagles with 20 points to go with 7 rebounds, McCoy finished with 19 points and sophomore guard Andrew Balkcom scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half.