Elgin hits 100-point mark, moves to 3-1
When junior Tom Roth hit the second of 2 free throws with 14 seconds to play Saturday night the Elgin student section erupted and started chanting "triple digits."
But reaching the century mark for the first time in more than a decade was hardly a breeze.
The Maroons had to rally from a 9-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation to pull out a 100-92 overtime victory over Lakes in the Bison Classic boys basketball Thanksgiving Tournament at Buffalo Grove.
"The first three quarters we were kind of lackadaisical and didn't play too well," said Elgin senior and all-tourney pick Jeremy Granger, who had a game-high 31 points and 7 rebounds. "Midway through the fourth quarter we just picked it up."
Elgin scored 11 of the last 13 regulation points and the first 10 points in the four-minute overtime to finish the tourney 3-1 with Stevenson and Buffalo Grove.
Stevenson beat the hosts 46-40 but BG won its third straight title on a tourney free-throw percentage tiebreaker as it hit 76 percent to 66 percent for the Patriots and 59 percent by Elgin.
D'Angelo Stewart (18 points, 15 rebounds), all-tourney pick Armani Williams (19 points), Roth (12 points) and Kenny Williams (12 points) helped force the three-way tie as Elgin scored 33 points the last seven minutes.
"You saw how we can play the last three minutes and overtime," said Elgin coach Mike Sitter. "We dominated overtime. We can dominate when we want to."
A rebound basket by the 6-foot-6 Stewart started the comeback from a 76-67 deficit. Armani Williams had missed 8 straight shots but tied it at 76-76 on a 3-pointer.
"Our defensive intensity sparked us and it all starts on 'D,'" Granger said.
"For some reason we're an on-and-off team and the first quarter we were really off," Stewart said. "At the end of the fourth quarter we picked up the intensity."
Lakes (1-3) took its last lead at 78-76 on a layup by Dan Kalb (18 points) with 45 seconds left. Granger split 4 free throws to force overtime and Kenny Williams' short baseline drive 12 seconds into the extra session gave Elgin its first lead since 2-0.
"Not to sound cocky … but I have faith in us in OT," Stewart said of needing four more minutes to beat Stevenson on Tuesday.
Kevin Guirand led Lakes with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Kevin Rice scored 16, Trey Williams had 15 and Mike Scott added 14 with four 3s.
"If we get better at the defensive end," Sitter said, "we'll play deep into March."