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Grayslake North tips Wauconda in double OT

Former Highland Park hoopster Josh Feinzimer dropped 31 points on Wauconda in a playoff victory in 1997.

He faced the Bulldogs again Wednesday night - as Grayslake North's boys basketball coach.

Knights senior guard Dominic Jankowski topped his coach by 7 points, pouring in 38 in Grayslake North's thrill-a-second, 69-68 double-overtime victory in Grayslake.

Jankowski, who'd netted a career-high 46 points against Streamwood earlier this season, scored the game-winner with 17 ticks left in the second OT off a smooth handoff from freshman Uros Mitrovic (9 points, 3 treys).

Jankowski's driving layup capped the well-designed play.

Wauconda junior forward Braeden Carlsen's 3-point try glanced off the rim in the waning seconds, triggering a flood of ecstatic North fans onto the court to celebrate with the Knights after the Northern Lake County Conference game.

Carlsen had quite a night, too, tallying a team-high 29 points, including all 14 of the Bulldogs' points in the fourth quarter, when Grayslake North (4-6, 1-1 in the NLCC) scored 17 after trailing 42-39 after three quarters.

"That's what high school basketball is all about, isn't it?" said first-year Wauconda varsity coach Ty Weidner, a 2003 Wauconda graduate. "Dom played fantastic; Braeden played fantastic. Two great players going at it.

"We're young. We had some chances there in the fourth quarter and OTs. We knew (after leading 30-25 at the half and 34-25 in the first minute of the third quarter) that Grayslake North wouldn't go away. Not here, not with their great homecourt advantage."

The fourth quarter was a taut one from start to finish. Neither squad led by more than 2 points. Knights sophomore guard Jayden Hunt (10 points, 1 huge drawn offensive foul in the first OT) scored the final points in regulation via a layup following a turnover, knotting it at 56-56 at the 1:55 mark.

Wauconda senior guard Christian Muniz (18 points, 13 in the first half) nailed a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the first OT, and Jankowski matched that 59 seconds later.

That was it, scoring-wise, in the first extra period.

Jankowski authored 7 of GN's 10 points in the second OT. Mitrovic's third and final trey made it 64-64 at 2:13.

Another drawn offensive foul - this one by Knights sophomore guard Cameron Bates (5 points) - came with 30 seconds remaining and Wauconda (5-4, 1-1) up 68-67.

"We take pride in taking charges!" Jankowski shouted afterward.

"I'm just so proud of how hard we fought and the resolve we showed, especially after Wauconda opened the scoring in each overtime," Feinzimer said. "Wauconda is well-coached, came out ready to play. The charges we took there at the end ... those were crucial.

"And how about the performances of Dom and Braeden? Two exciting players, competing on the same court, entertaining everybody."

GN senior forward Jacob Donohue scored 6 points to go with a game-high 10 rebounds.

Wauconda junior guard Cayden Mudd scored 10 points, and classmate Colton McLennan contributed 8.

  Grayslake North's Dominic Jankowski shoots as he gets past Wauconda's Colton McLennan in a boys basketball game in Grayslake on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Grayslake North's Dominic Jankowski is fouled as he drives through Wauconda's Zach Miller and Colton McLennan in a boys basketball game in Grayslake on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Grayslake North's Dominic Jankowski spins away from Wauconda's Colton McLennan in a boys basketball game in Grayslake on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Grayslake North's Jayden Hunt and Wauconda's Jackson Rudolph battle for a rebound in a boys basketball game in Grayslake on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Wauconda's Braeden Carlsen gets a rebound against Grayslake North's Jacob Donohue in a boys basketball game in Grayslake on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  The home crowd signals as Grayslake North's Jayden Hunt launches a three-point shot against Wauconda in a boys basketball game in Grayslake on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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