Time runs out on Lakes against St. Patrick

Benett Haviland got to play one final high school basketball game after all, even if it was just 22 uneventful seconds to start the Class 3A Vernon Hills sectional final.

The hobbled Haviland left the game with a sheepish smile and no worse for the wear, thankfully, as Lakes' fans applauded to show their appreciation for the senior.

"It kind of worked out," said Eagles coach Chris Snyder, who accidentally penciled down Haviland, who wasn't going to play due to an ankle injury, as a starter for Friday night's game against St. Patrick. "He actually got a chance to get that last piece of recognition from the fans."

By game's end, Lakes' fans saluted all of their players one final time. The Eagles missed 10 free throws and the kind of perimeter shooting that Haviland can deliver, St. Patrick's own sharpshooter, Nicolas Coleman, poured in a game-high 17 points, and the third-seeded Shamrocks won 48-33.

While No. 5 Lakes (18-14) saw its season end with just its fifth loss in its last 18 games, St. Patrick (22-8) earned a berth in Tuesday's 7 p.m. Hoffman Estates supersectional against St. Joseph.

Ethan Sage led Lakes with 15 points and 15 rebounds in his final game. The Eagles were within 5 points of the lead early in the fourth quarter before the Shamrocks pulled away.

"It was a great atmosphere," Lakes guard Jake Balliu said. "I loved being out here in a sectional title game. Down from our fans to our players to our coaches, we were ready to go. Shots weren't falling. It was one of those nights. We kept battling to the end. Give total credit to St. Pats. They're a heck of a team."

Dave Milostan, who had scored just 12 points in Lakes' first three state tournament games, provided the Eagles a much-needed offensive boost early. He sank a 3-pointer and completed a 3-point play, as the Eagles led 8-7 after one quarter. The senior guard hit another 3 in the second quarter, and the score was tied 18-18 at halftime.

"We were happy that it was tied because we knew we would be able to come out and, if we kept working, we would get that lead," said Milostan, who finished with 9 points and 6 rebounds. "We just came out and weren't hitting shots."

St. Patrick scored the first 10 points of the third quarter, while Lakes missed 3 layups. The Shamrocks were up 32-20, before the Eagles closed the quarter with a 7-0 run. Balliu fired a bullet pass to Colton Jewell (5 points, 6 rebounds), whose layup beat the buzzer to bring Lakes within 32-27.

Against Vernon Hills in the semifinals, Lakes trailed 36-29 after three quarters.

"We talked about that," Snyder said. "We said we've been there, done that. (The players) were up for it too, but those missed shots - you could tell - they were affecting our guys after a while."

After a Sage layup with 6:26 left in the fourth, Lakes was still within five. But 6-foot-4 Duncan White drained a 3 from the top of the key - his only basket of the night - to extend St. Patrick's lead to 38-30, and Lakes never threatened after that.

Lakes shot just 29 percent (12 of 41) from the floor, as St. Patrick used both a 2-3 zone and man-to-man defense to disrupt the Eagles.

"We grind," Shamrocks coach Mike Bailey said. "We do whatever it takes. The last month we've been scoring at a pretty good clip. I think we struggled to make some open shots tonight. Certainly Lakes made that happen. What we do is 'tempo' the game late in the game. Our seniors are smart kids and they play together. When we get a lead in the fourth quarter, we're going to be hard to come back on."

Isaac Moore added 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals for the Shamrocks. Lakes got scoring from only four players.

"We're all a bunch of brothers in there," Milostan said. "We've been playing together for four years, so it's tough to end like this, but it was a great run."