Lancers earn first home win in OT vs. Panthers
The streaks may have been pointing in the wrong direction for Lake Park's boys basketball team, but the Lancers managed to start a couple of right ones on Tuesday.
They pulled out a 64-61 overtime win over visiting Glenbard North in Roselle, ending the Lancers' five-game losing streak and giving them their first home win.
For Lake Park coach Cray Allen, it proved how far his young team has come since the start of the season.
"We're a totally different team than we were six weeks ago," Allen said. "It's getting better every day."
Marko Govedarica scored on a steal to give Glenbard North (1-7) a 53-51 lead with 48 seconds left in regulation. Lake Park's Trent Patterson answered with a bucket 12 seconds later to send the game to overtime tied 53-53.
Reid Hulett scored to start the extra period for the Panthers, but the Lancers (3-6) tallied the next 5 points to seize control. George Manos hit a pair of free throws and then got a steal and assisted a basket by Danny Baylis that put Lake Park ahead 58-55.
Baylis scored again to extend the lead to 60-56. After that it became a matter of free throws for the Lancers, who managed only 4-of-10 shooting in the final minute.
With Lake Park ahead 64-61, Manos took a charge with 8.7 seconds left. He then tipped an offensive rebound off a missed free throw to keep the ball out of the Panthers' hands. Glenbard North's long 3-point heave at the buzzer fell short, sealing the victory for Lake Park.
"A lot of times it's just intensity," said Manos, who finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds. "The team chemistry wasn't there before, but it's there now."
Glenbard North trailed by as many as 7 points in the game. A 10-2 run put the Lancers ahead 49-43 with 3:32 left in regulation, but the Panthers trapping defense brought them back.
Jake Barry hit a couple of shots, James Fleming nailed a 3-pointer to tie it and Govedarica capped the comeback with his go-ahead layup. Fleming scored 17 points for the Panthers, leading their 32-point effort off the bench.
"We put ourselves in a position to win the game," said Panthers coach Erin Dwyer. "It's frustrating, but it's a better sign. We've just got to find a way to finish the game at the end."
Baylis led all scorers with 25 points, including 16 after halftime and 6 in overtime.
"We were determined not to lose," the junior said. "We're a lot better team than when we started off."