Shields, Grant snip Wauconda

Grant trusts Mike Shields with a basketball -- and scissors.

That's especially true when it comes to finishing tasks.

Shields used fourth-quarter heroics to help Grant rally from a 10-point deficit late in the game and stun Wauconda 55-53 for the championship of the second annual Richmond-Burton/Johnsburg Thanksgiving Tournament in Richmond on Saturday night.

Afterward, the victors took turns cutting down the very same net Shields had just tickled with the game-winning shot.

With the net dangling on its final cords, Shields climbed the ladder a second time and finished the job without flaw.

His execution at the end of the game was similar. After a Wauconda turnover with 3.9 seconds left and the score tied 53-53, Grant's Nick Mason inbounded the ball at midcourt to Shields, who drove the baseline and kissed a runner off the glass at the buzzer.

Shields scored 16 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter.

"If he can be consistent in his play and help make guys on the team better," coach Phil Ralston said, "we're going to win a lot of games this season."

Grant is off to a 4-0 start after becoming the first team in school history to win back-to-back Thanksgiving tournaments.

Shields was 12 of 16 from the line, including 7 of 10 in the fourth. He also had a key steal in the final minute. Grant helped cause 6 Wauconda turnovers in the final quarter.

"We base our whole philosophy on defense and we never want to say never," Shields said. "Luckily we didn't and our defense was able to win the game."

Wauconda (3-1) led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter and was up 50-40 when Connor Dimick (game-high 24 points) sank a free throw with 1:59 to go.

Shields, Curtis Oler (17 points) and Gilbert Sheehan (9 points, 7 rebounds) all played big for Grant in the fourth.

"We've said all along that the press we've been using is going to wear teams down," Ralston said, "and I think you saw at the end of the game that Wauconda just wore down."

Eric Grozavescu had 13 points and 8 rebounds for Wauconda, which led most of the night.

"I give Wauconda a tremendous amount of credit," Ralston said. "They had a tremendous amount of composure, they had a great game plan against us, and it worked for about 3½ quarters."

Lake Zurich 58, McHenry 40: Shoot and drive.

Lake Zurich did a lot more of both Saturday.

The Bears, who like to fire up shots quickly again this season, made an hour drive to Woodstock in the morning to play McHenry and finish up their first appearance in the Hoops for Healing tournament.

The trip was actually shorter than the pair of 90-minute treks they took to Belvidere earlier in the week. The Bears opened the Woodstock/Belvidere tourney (and their season) last Monday at Woodstock.

"We've been on the bus all week," junior guard Connor Mooney said.

So where did the Bears head after their 58-40 win over McHenry? On another long bus ride, of course.

The entire basketball team traveled downstate to cheer on the football team, which played Wheaton Warrenville South later in the day in the Class 7A state championship game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

The Lake Zurich-McHenry game started at 10:30 a.m. and was the first of four at Woodstock on the final day of the tournament.

"It worked out perfect," Bears coach John Zarr said. "We could have had the 2:30 (p.m.) game. It works out great, so we're all able to go (to the football game)."

It was that kind of week for Zarr's team. Lake Zurich was perfect in the tournament, going 4-0.

Mooney and 6-foot-6 junior Danny Coleman each scored 17 points against McHenry. Mooney sank four of his five 3-pointers in the middle quarters, helping the Bears build leads of 29-19 at halftime and 46-33 after three. Coleman's 7 points helped stake Lake Zurich to a 14-8 advantage after the first quarter, in which 6-6 junior Brandon Kunz also grabbed 6 of his 14 rebounds. Coleman finished with 6 boards.

"I think this game is probably the best one we've played," Zarr said. "We shot the ball extremely well. We're getting better. We're still young. I think this is good experience for us. This is going to help us with our league (North Suburban Conference). Our league's a war, day in and day out."

Coleman, Chas Evans and Nick Iden also hit 3-pointers for the Bears, who open their home season and NSC Lake Division play Friday night against defending conference champ Warren.

"The first couple of games (in the tournament) were a little rough, but today we really established ourselves as a team," said Mooney, who hit the game-winning shot against Cary-Grove last Wednesday. "Before we were playing as individuals, but now we're starting to come together as a team."

McHenry received 8 points apiece from Zach Borter and Ryan McNaughton. Chris Madson hauled down 16 rebounds.

Vernon Hills 41, Latin 40: At Northridge Prep, all-tournament pick Kenny Rideout had 24 points for the Cougars, who won their first game. Chris Morgan added 10.

Grayslake North 43, Marengo 37: At Richmond-Burton, Clay Henricksen scored 20 points for the Knights (2-2).

Hononegah 51, Grayslake Central 49 (OT): At Woodstock, the Rams were outscored 5-3 in overtime.

Grayslake Central received all its scoring from four players -- Michael Brumm (14 points), Mike Davis (13), Andrew Sipes (12) and Alex Anderson (10).