Lakes 56, Vernon Hills 46
Not even Brian Phelan and his wife, Tricia, can keep up with his Lakes' boys basketball team, which keeps adding victories.
The Eagles extended their school-record winning streak to nine games Friday night with a 56-46 win over visiting Vernon Hills, as Trey Williams led a balanced attack with a game-high 16 points, while Kevin Guirand contributed a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Phelans, meanwhile, will be extending their rapidly growing family again in 2008. The couple found out the morning of the Eagles' first game this season that they're pregnant with their third child, who'll join siblings Tyler, 4, and Kendall, 2.
"We heard the heartbeat (Thursday)," Coach/Dad Phelan said. "It's exciting."
The way Phelan's team is playing on the court has to have Lakes' fans excited.
With their win over the pesky Cougars, the Eagles improved to 10-4, including 4-1 in the North Suburban Prairie Division.
Phelan gave his team four days off after winning the Grant holiday tournament last Saturday night. But while they had troubling putting Vernon Hills away, the Eagles jumped out to a 8-0 lead and never trailed.
"We all needed family time, myself included," Phelan said of the four-day break.
"(Thursday) we had an OK practice and this morning we had a great hour practice. For 8 o'clock, with teenagers on a Friday morning, we had a great walk-through, and they responded well tonight."
And for the most part, the Eagles had ample energy.
"It was actually kind of funny," Williams said. "Halfway through the game I was like, 'Coach, my legs are heavy.' I told him I think a few of our legs are heavy because it looked like we were kind of slow going up and down the court."
Vernon Hills (7-7, 3-2) certainly made the home team work. DaVaris Daniels' three 3-pointers and 11 points helped the Cougars trim a pair of 12-point deficits in the second quarter to 27-23 by halftime.
Vernon Hills then used a 7-0 run to pull within 35-34 late in the third.
But Williams drained an 18-footer and Marcell Kirkmanbey scored on a put-back to extend Lakes' lead to 39-34.
Williams then opened the fourth with a pair of free throws and his only 3 of the night. The Eagles were in control the rest of the way.
"They were a scrappy team so we were having difficulties all game until like (late) third quarter, fourth quarter," Williams. "Me and 'KG' (Guirand) were talking on the sideline. We knew we were better than that. Me and him got into each other's heads and said let's finish this out."
Lakes' Dan Kalb scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half. John Androus added 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, and also helped limit Daniels (13 points) to just 1 field in the second half.
"They got guys that can get to the basket," Vernon Hills coach Matt McCarty said. "I would hate to see how many layup points they had."
Kenny Rideout led the Cougars with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Guirand did a decent job defensively against the 6-foot-5½ senior.
"They were just tougher than us," McCarty said. "Their on-the-ball toughness was very evident. We've got some guys who I guess will learn not to be nonchalant with the basketball."