Panthers fall in double-OT

Jeff Nicoline needed a boost, and so did his Round Lake basketball team.

They both got it.

The Panthers didn't get their elusive first win, however, despite receiving a clutch 3-pointer from Nicoline in the closing seconds of regulation and taking Richmond-Burton to double overtime Friday.

R-B prevailed 61-57 in third-round action of the Grant Holiday Tournament in Fox Lake.

Round Lake (0-10, 0-3) played without regular guards Tim Kelley and Juddon Carter, both of whom were out of town. Panthers first-year coach Howard Kravets used only two reserves.

"I'm really proud of the kids," Kravets said. "To play with seven kids and to play with that much heart and effort is outstanding. Despite the fact that we lost, I think this could be a turning point in our season. It's clearly the hardest we've played, especially since we were outsized and outmanned."

Richmond-Burton (5-6, 1-2), which starts the 6-foot-5 duo of Matthew Clary (18 points) and Harrison Daniels (10 points, 8 rebounds) plus active 6-2 forward Kyle Wismer (10 points, 13 rebounds), led by as many as 9 points in the third quarter.

But behind recent call-up Jake Paulsen and Nicoline, the Panthers rallied in the fourth.

Nicoline's fourth 3 - and second of the quarter - with five seconds left pulled Round Lake even at 42-42, forcing overtime.

"I felt good," said Nicoline, who after inbounding the ball following a timeout sprinted under the basket, got free off a double screen and sank a right-wing 3 with a defender in his face. "Coach gave me confidence to hit it down and I was like, 'All right, I'll hit it down.' I've been struggling all year so it felt good."

"He shot with confidence," Kravets said. "That was a big-time 3."

Paulsen sank 2 shots in the fourth and scored 4 more points in OT. The 6-2 sophomore finished with a game-high 21 points and 9 rebounds.

"Jake is going to be a very nice player for us," Kravets said. "He's got a really nice touch around the basket."

R-B's Kenneth Riordan (17 points) hit a baseline shot at the first-overtime buzzer to tie the score at 50-50. In the second OT, Clary converted a three-point play 16 seconds in, Daniels sank a layup and the Rockets never looked back.

Nicoline and David Windham each finished with 12 points for Round Lake.

Nicoline agreed with his coach that, despite the outcome, the game might help turn around the season for the Panthers, who play Northtown Academy at 1 p.m. today at Grant.

"I think so," Nicoline said. "I thought we played real hard, and played tough defense."

Lakes 72, Northtown Academy 54: Brian Phelan was sick all day Thursday and just learned that his 5-year-old son is allergic to wheat.

Lakes basketball coach surely has had merrier Christmases.

But at least Friday was a good day for his team.

Led by John Androus' triple-double of 20 points, 11 points and 11 assists, the Eagles slowly pulled away from Northtown Academy, winning 72-54 to improve to 2-1 in the Grant tournament.

"First half I thought, defensively, we were standing up too much," said Phelan, whose Eagles led 19-14 after one quarter and 32-25 at the half. "We adjusted that at halftime with a good 'scolding' I guess. We came out and played better in the third quarter."

Lakes (3-7) outscored Northtown Academy 21-9 in the third, as Tyler Swindle sank a 3-pointer and scored 8 of his 15 points. By registering 10 points in the fourth, thanks in part to going 6 of 6 from the foul line, Androus produced his seventh straight game of 20 or more points.

"He's attacking the basket well," Phelan said. "He played through some pain today. He got injured the last game. I think he took a knee to the thigh and sprained an ankle a little bit."

Mike Scott added 10 points for Lakes - which plays host Grant at 5 p.m. today - while Jack Olson and Justin Hotle (7 rebounds) added 9 apiece.