Carmel survives Grant's comeback try

It didn't come as a big surprise to Carmel's boys basketball team that Grant had a second half comeback in them. But it also didn't surprise Carmel coach Zach Ryan that his senior would be able to withstand the comeback.

Led by Western Illinois-bound senior CJ Duff and fellow senior standout Shareif Belser-Bailey, Carmel withstood a 17-2 run from the host Bulldogs and still hung on for a 62-56 win on the final day of the Grant Thanksgiving Tournament.

Belser-Bailey and Duff each earned all-tournament honors as the Corsairs finished fourth overall. Grant junior Davion Williams (11 points) also merited all-tournament honors for the Bulldogs, who finished fifth overall. Waukegan won the tournament with a 4-1 mark.

"We knew that Grant was going to make a run - they had played close games throughout this tournament so we expected that," Ryan said. "I got to credit my two senior guys. I got on them early on, but CJ and Sharief really stepped up there at the end."

Belser-Bailey was a force on both ends of the floor. His 22 points led all scorers, and his 6 steals started the Corsairs comeback which allowed Carmel (2-3) to overcome a 17-2 Grant spree that temporarily gave the Bulldogs the lead in the fourth quarter.

Grant (1-4) used the hot shooting of John Kerr and Ben Kusiak to go ahead 43-42 with 7:05 to play. But a bucket from Sean Foster and a steal and layup from Belser-Bailey gave Carmel the lead back for good at 46-43 with 6:33 to go.

"When Shareif plays well we are really, really good," Ryan said. "You know what we are going to get out of CJ most nights but when Shareif raises his game to the next level like he did tonight we are tough to beat."

Grant continued to hang close in the final quarter thanks to Kerr and Kusiak, who led the team with 15 points apiece. But the slow start was what bothered coach Wayne Bosworth the most.

"We just didn't have any energy tonight," Bosworth said. "You can't win games like this without any energy and when you don't play hard."

Carmel built its first half lead with a 13-2 run ignited by Duff and Belser-Bailey. Duff chipped in with 17 points and 8 rebounds to go with Belser-Bailey's big night.