Mundelein duo proves too much for Lake Park
The last time Billy Pitcher coached a visiting team in Mundelein's gym Scottie Ebube and Conor Enright were learning the rigors of varsity basketball as freshmen.
Less than two months after Pitcher's veteran Lake Zurich team made host Mundelein one of its 26 victims on a January night in 2018, his Bears celebrated a Class 4A sectional championship. It was Pitcher's last season, before taking the job at Lake Park.
"They were really fundamental and good, just like this (Lake Park) team," Enright said.
Saturday night, Ebube and Enright got to show Pitcher how much they've grown. The junior duo scored all but 10 of Mundelein's points, as the Mustangs won 52-45 in a nonconference battle between undefeated teams.
"They're phenomenal," Pitcher said of Ebube and Enright after his Lancers fell to 9-1. "They can do some things our guys can't do in terms of inside and the pullup 3s, and the spin move-fadeway that Enright hit (early in the third)."
The 6-foot-8 Ebube finished with game bests of 23 points (two thunderous dunks), 14 rebounds (5 offensive) and 5 blocks, as the Mustangs improved to 10-0. Drake-commit Enright scored 19 points, including a clutch 3-pointer to end the third quarter.
"I was having so much fun," Ebube said. "I was really focused on this game."
The game didn't disappoint.
"(The result) stinks," said Trevor Montiel, who after having his 3-point try early in the game swatted into the bleachers by Ebube recovered to lead Lake Park with 19 points and 10 rebounds. "But this (Mundelein) team is a really, really, good, young, experienced, talented team. Enright and Ebube are just monsters, and athletes. We can't be too mad about this one. We played our butts off."
After the two teams shot a combined 12 of 45 in the first half, with Mundelein leading 18-16, they both heated up in the third quarter. Luke Sgarbossa (12 points) drained a 3-pointer midway through the quarter to give Lake Park its first lead at 29-28 and then scored again on a steal and layup. But late in third, with Montiel getting a breather, Ebube two-hand-dunked with 51 seconds left to pull the Mustangs within three. When Lake Park was whistled for an offensive foul in the closing seconds, it led to Enright's pullup 3 to send the game into the fourth tied at 37-37.
"I thought that five-point swing there was the difference in the game," said Pitcher, who was welcomed by a few of his former Lake Zurich players in attendance.
After Enright's end-of-quarter heroics, the point guard ran over near Mundelein's dressed-in-white student fans and yelled.
"I thought we needed a big shot to get momentum going into last quarter," said Enright, who hit three 3s. "I hit it and I got the students into it. We got going, and that took off right to the fourth quarter."
Ebube opened the fourth-quarter scoring, Stevenson-transfer Trey Baker (7 points) knocked down a pullup 3, and Mundelein had the lead for keeps.
Montiel's 2 free throws with 3:51 left got the Lancers within 46-45. But Mundelein hit 6 of 8 free throws in the final 2:48 to keep its perfect season intact.
"We've had guys step up at different times this season," Mustangs coach Matt Badgley said. "Trey has been a huge addition for us this year. Chris Rooney comes off the bench and gives us a great spark. Syame Atade gets a lot of junk and extra rebounds. Jack Bikus comes up big for us. But at the end of the day, the ball's in Conor's hands a lot, and the ball's in Scottie's hands a lot."
Just the way the Mustangs like it.