Driscoll backs it up
Nick Latorre had just one thought reading Jake Lindfors' guarantee of a win over St. Francis on Saturday.
"He better back it up," Driscoll's coach said.
Lindfors and the Highlanders did just that, beating St. Francis 75-72 before a capacity senior night crowd shoehorned into the Driscoll gymnasium in Addison.
Lindfors had 24 points and 15 rebounds, Matt Kaban 19 points and David Schwabe scored 17 for Driscoll (19-7, 11-2 Suburban Catholic Conference), which can clinch at least a split of the league title with a win at Montini on Friday.
"That was kind of a mistake to say that (make the guarantee)," Lindfors said, "but it was senior night. There was no way we were going to lose our last game here. We've worked too hard the last four years."
Lindfors' basket to end the third quarter gave Driscoll a 56-47 lead, but St. Francis didn't go quietly.
The Spartans knocked down four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, Dan McCoy's triple with 31 seconds left making it a 73-72 game.
Schwabe hit two free throws, and at the other end Brian McMahon missed a 3-point attempt from the top of the key. McCoy's desperation heave from the corner fell short as time expired.
"For Brian to get a good look, that's all we could ask," St. Francis coach Shawn Healy said. "Our kids played their hearts out. This team doesn't have any quit."
St. Francis (14-8, 9-3) led by as many as 10 points in the first half, blistering the nets with eight 3-pointers in its first nine attempts.
Jack Purdom, who led the Spartans with 18 points, hit four of the 3-pointers. But Driscoll ended the half with a 12-4 run to pull within 38-36, then opened the third quarter on a 7-2 spurt. Steve Schwabe's 3-pointer gave the Highlanders a 45-40 lead.
Back-to-back scores by Lindfors made it 49-41.
"After the way we played defensively in the first half," Lindfors said, "we had to pick it up."
St. Francis didn't make a 3-pointer in the third quarter, turning the ball over 6 times.
"When you play a team the caliber of Driscoll, you can't have unforced turnovers," Healy said. "To beat them you have to get as many possessions as you can."
McCoy scored 16 points, David Palash 15 and McMahon 12 points and 9 rebounds for St. Francis.
Driscoll, which kept pace with Aurora Central atop the Suburban Catholic, has won seven straight games in conference, eight of nine overall.
"We needed to get on a roll sometime," said David Schwabe, whose return from an ankle injury has coincided with the streak. "Better late in the season, rather than at the beginning. Hopefully, we can keep it going."