Schneider sparks Prospect past Palatine
Prospect's Owen Schneider has made a career of coming up with big shots and big plays in his three years on varsity for the Knights.
Tuesday night at Palatine was no exception.
Schneider, who would score 14 points, nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give Prospect a 41-30 lead over the Pirates to end the third quarter in a Mid-Suburban League crossover boys basketball game won by the Knights 58-39.
When Palatine cut the lead to 41-35 with 4:50 left in the game, following 2 free throws by the Knights' Patrick Freeman, Schneider came up with a backbreaker play.
Receiving an inbounds pass in the backcourt, Schneider spotted Charlie Carroll alone under the basket and made the three-quarter court pass for an easy layup. That gave Prospect a 45-35 lead with 4:10 left and the Knights went on to the win in a Mid-Suburban crossover between teams that finished second in their respective divisions.
"We got the win and that's all that matters to me," said Schneider.
Prospect (17-10) has now won six of its last seven games while the Pirates (19-11) have dropped three of their last five.
"I learned a lot over the years," said Schneider. "When we won the regional two years ago, I've kind of remembered all the little things I've learned during that time. What I learned I've tried to instill with the players this year and tried to help them out. Playing at Prospect has meant everything to me. I would watch the teams play on Friday nights when I was younger and now I get to play in those games. We're playing well now. We're looking to get some momentum going into the playoffs."
"(Schneider) controlled the tempo of the game. It's something he's done his whole career," said Palatine coach Eric Millstone. "Prospect did a nice job on both ends of the floor. We just seemed to be out of sync on both ends of the floor. Prospect got some stops and then they added on to their lead."
Schneider had plenty of help from Owen Walter and Carroll, who each scored 9 points. Freeman chipped in 8 points.
Tied at 13 after the first quarter the game stayed close through the second quarter.
Prospect took the lead for good when Schneider hit 2 free throws to give the Knights a 23-22 lead. Charlie Gilmer connected on a 3-pointer to make the score 26-22. Grant Dersnah (11 points) closed out the half for Palatine to cut the lead to 26-24.
Schneider keyed a 10-0 run to start the third quarter with a basket. Walter scored from underneath on an assist from Freeman. Schneider produced a 4-point play before Walter scored again to give the Knights a 36-24 lead with 2:45 left in the third quarter.
"I've said this before about Owen and I'll say it again, he has become a great floor leader," said Prospect coach Brad Rathe. "He's not flashy with points but he's always under control. We trust Owen to make the big decisions on the floor. He's played a lot of meaningful minutes for us over the last three years. He's savvy and makes the right plays. He can make an impact on the next level. We'll miss him a lot when he graduates."
Tommy Elter scored 11 points for Palatine and Connor May had 10.