Androus, Lakes pick up 1st win

Lakes had been patient while trying to get its first win of the season.

It was worth wait.

The Eagles got one on the road, flying past Grant 58-53 in a North Suburban Prairie Division contest in Fox Lake on Saturday night.

John Androus led Lakes with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Justin Hotle chipped in 12 points and Mike Scott added 10.

Over the last few years, the Eagles have tended to start their season with losses because of the type of teams they play, such as Buffalo Grove, Grayslake Central and North Chicago.

"I like the hard schedule in the beginning," Lakes coach Brian Phelan said. "We've always started off poorly record-wise. It gets our kids to play hard come division time. We're getting better every game."

Lakes (1-6, 1-1) came in on the heels of a grueling loss against North Chicago but was ready to go toe-to-toe with Grant.

"Our kids believe you can win every game," Phelan said. "They play hard and they've got the will to win. Really, the record doesn't matter and they've had great spirit. It's a good group of hard-working kids."

The Eagles delivered some extra hard work late Saturday and broke out of a 48-48 tie by scoring 8 unanswered points as part of a 10-5 run.

John Androus went 4-for-4 from the free throw line and had 9 fourth-quarter points. He also had a couple of key assists.

"I just had the ball in my hands and made the plays," said Androus, who had 31 in a recent loss to North Chicago.. "We just reacted to the penetration and had guys in the right spots."

Scott scored on a couple of layups and Hotle had a other short jumper as Androus set them up.

"He does so much for the team," Scott said. "Whether he scores 29 or dishing out 10 assists and getting 10 rebounds. He makes all kinds of great passes and catches them off guard."

Grant (5-2 overall) lost for the first time in division play, falling to 2-1.

"Poor execution, and we didn't run our offense or rotate on defense," Grant coach Wayne Bosworth said of his team's effort down the stretch. "Give credit to Androus - we had no one who could stop him. We'll have to do a better job preparing for him next time."

Gilbert Sheehan led Grant with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals and AJ Spohr chipped in 13.