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Fremd rallies late to tip Hersey in OT

Fremd showed that they were playoff ready Tuesday in Arlington Heights.

In their final regular season game, the Vikings rallied from five points down with just over a minute to play to beat Hersey 65-57 in overtime in a MSL crossover game.

"This is how the games are going to be," said Fremd coach Bob Widlowski, whose team will meet Wheeling next Wednesday in the opening round of the state playoffs.

"It is going to be possession games all the way through. And we need to be able to handle possession games. And I thought we handled a possession game tonight."

Fremd (17-9) trailed 54-49 with 1:09 left in regulation. Cameron Kuhl, who led the Vikings with 21 points, drilled a three-pointer with 53 seconds left to cut the deficit to 54-52.

"We were sharing the ball all the way through," Kuhl said. "And it just worked out."

Hersey (18-12) had pulled ahead in the fourth quarter behind their strong inside play. Jackson Hupp, who scored 14 of his 15 points in the second half, and Max Menninga, who finished with 17 points, were giving Fremd fits inside the paint.

But after Kuhl's basket, Fremd began to double the ball and trailing the Huskies. The strategy worked and Ryan Sammons stripped the ball free and followed with a layup to tie the game at 54 with 37 seconds left.

"We were trapping and trying to get a steal," said Sammons, ho finished with 13 points. "I saw that he turned his back on me. I just poked it and I got the layup."

The Vikings then kept Hersey away from the basket, not allowing a shot as the game went into overtime.

Max Braun's three-point play put the Vikings up for good early in the quarter. After a Hersey basket made it 57-56, Braun would add a pair of free throws with 1:18 left as the Vikings would outscore the Huskies 8-2 down the stretch.

"We are pleased at how we handled things at the end of the game tonight," Widlowski said.

"Compared to what we were doing in the beginning of the season, I thought we executed like we wanted to. And not in just the last minute of the game, but in overtime."

Fremd was spurred to a solid start thanks to a Viking grandfather. Lou Maiorano, whose grandson Bobby Panzino played for Fremd, stepped in to sing a spirited rendition the national anthem when the Hersey music system failed.

Using that energy, Fremd ran out to a 19-13 lead. The Vikings knocked down four 3-pointers during that spurt.

Fremd led 23-17 after one quarter when Hersey's ability to rebound on the offensive end helped the Huskies pull ahead. With Menninga, Jared Ryg, Carson Grove and Quinn Mullen scrambling underneath the hoop, Hersey was able to use second chance points to take a 31-29 halftime lead.

Hersey coach Austin Scott, whose team will play Lake Zurich next Wednesday, said he saw lots of positives for his team coming out of the game.

"We did some good things offensively in the first half," Scott said. "Then we did some good things defensively in the second quarter and at times in the fourth when we needed some stops."

Jonathan Ryg had nine points and seven rebounds for Hersey. Jared Ryg and Michael Jasper each added seven points.

Samuel Hirsch came off the bench to score eight points for Fremd while Braun had seven points and Ryan Cox six points.

  Fremd's Tyler Kaspar strips the ball from Hersey's Jared Ryg as he shoots in a boys basketball game in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Fremd's Cameron Kuhl gets cough in a host of Hersey players in a boys basketball game in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Fremd's Mark Braun tries to get around Hersey's Jackson Hupp in a boys basketball game in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Fremd's Ryan Cox drives to the basket between Hersey's Jared Ryg, left, and Jackson Hupp in a boys basketball game in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Fremd's Mark Braun puts p a shot against Hersey's Johnny Ryg in a boys basketball game in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Hersey's Johnny Ryg shoots against Fremd's Ryan Cox in a boys basketball game in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Hersey's Michael Jasper tries to get past Fremd's Tyler Kaspar in a boys basketball game in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Hersey's Johnny Ryg and Fremd's Mark Braun battle in a boys basketball game in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  Hersey's Michael Jasper and Fremd's Samuel Hirsch stretch for a rebound in a boys basketball game in Arlington Heights on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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