Pirates get hardware and 500th for Molitor

Winning 500 boys varsity basketball games is no easy feat.

And reaching that milestone wasn't for Hall of Fame Palatine coach Ed Molitor on Saturday afternoon in York's 34th annual Jack Tosh Holiday Classic in Elmhurst.

The Pirates saw a 15-point halftime lead evaporate in less than seven minutes in the consolation championship game with Downers Grove South. Another 6-point lead slipped away.

Then they played the last four minutes with the persistence and intelligence Molitor has demanded in his 39-year head coaching career at Marist and Palatine.

And the Pirates (6-8) went on to claim the consolation crown, surpass last year's win total and give Molitor his milestone victory 54-42.

''It felt good but the big thing was getting the third win of the tournament,'' said Palatine senior guard John Castellano after scoring all 10 of his points in a 15-3 finish.

''Coach told us we haven't gotten any hardware in this tournament in 10 years,'' said 6-foot-9 all-tourney pick Josh Rustman of the Pirates' second place finish in 1997. ''He told us that was more important than his 500th win.''

Which wouldn't surprise those who have known Molitor since he started as an assistant coach for Bill Gleason at the old DePaul Academy in 1966.

Molitor, who was a head coach at Marist (1969-76) before coming to Palatine, was given a plaque by the York tournament in a pregame ceremony honoring his career that will end after this season with his retirement.

He was presented with the game ball in a postgame ceremony. Ed Molitor Jr., joked with his dad and former coach that he thought he reached 500 wins long ago.

''I didn't even know and never even thought about it,'' Ed Molitor Sr. said. 'Honestly, I didn't even know until I saw it in the (Saturday) paper.''

The Pirates broke to a 31-16 halftime lead by hitting 11 of 17 shots as Castellano and Gerald Hutton kept finding Rustman (11 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocked shots) and 6-6 Monroe Brooks inside.

Then Downers South (7-5), which got 15 points from Malcolm Herron and 10 points and 9 rebounds from Bledar Dervishi, sprang a 1-3-1 half-court trap to force 6 turnovers and tie it at 33-33.

''We kind of caved for a second but we got it together,'' Castellano said.

Both teams traded 6-point runs when Castellano was off the mark on a 3-pointer. But he scored off his sixth straight miss to put the Pirates ahead to stay at 41-39 with 3:54 left.

''To me that's the mark of a kid who keeps his head in the game,'' Molitor said of Castellano's 5 rebounds and 6-for-6 free-throw shooting the final 1:04, ''and knows he can help the team in other ways.''

Matt Rossi also ended a 6-shot drought by hitting a 3 off a feed from Matt Wieber (9 points, 5 rebounds). Rustman and Castellano drove the lane for scores to put the Pirates back in control.

''I just wanted these guys to improve as the tournament went on and I thought we did,'' Molitor said.

And got Molitor his milestone in the process.