Grayslake Central earns win, Antioch respect
Antioch boys basketball coach Mike Skinner noticed relieved looks on the faces of Grayslake Central's players as they shook hands with his players following the teams' state tournament opener.
A game that wasn't supposed to be close - especially when the margin was 18 points early in the second half - proved to be just that.
Antioch's young squad pulled within two by the end of the third quarter, but ran out of steam before falling 68-56 in Class 3A regional semifinal action at Grayslake Central on Tuesday night.
In avoiding what would have been a major upset, Grayslake Central (19-9) advanced to Friday night's regional final against the winner of tonight's game between Grayslake North and Lakes.
Antioch finished its second season under Skinner with a 4-25 mark.
"It was different than being blown out by 20 or 30 (points)," Antioch junior guard Chris Terzic said of the postgame handshakes. "It was a better feeling. Coach said it best - I think we earned their respect tonight."
After Grayslake Central saw a 41-23 third-quarter lead trimmed to five points in just a couple of minutes, the Rams earned an earful from coach Brian Moe. Sounding more like a drill sergeant, Moe screamed in the faces of his players during a timeout.
"They weren't playing with much energy or intensity so we needed to do something to kind of get the intensity going a little bit more," Moe said.
The Rams responded out of the timeout with a basket by Josh Rappaport, but Antioch wouldn't go away.
Even after Rappaport opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to start a 9-2 run, the Sequoits kept coming. It was still a five-point game with 3:12 left after Kyle Melton fed Terzic for a layup, but the Rams finished the game with an 11-4 run. Rappaport, who was scoreless at halftime. scored 10 of his 14 points in the final quarter. He also had 4 of his 7 rebounds in the fourth.
Alex Anderson led the Rams with 20 points, while Kevin O'Rourke (12 points), who jawed at his teammates after the third quarter ended, also scored in double figures. Point guard Tavaris Bell (6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) provided the Rams good minutes off the bench.
"We didn't come out with much urgency in the second half," Moe said. "I think our key phrase for the rest of the year is going to be, 'Have a sense of urgency.' Antioch came out in the second half and they didn't want to lose. They didn't want their season to end. We thought they were going to roll over and die, but it's March. Nobody's giving up."
Antioch's comeback was even more impressive considering the Sequoits trailed 14-2 after one quarter.
"We got young guys," said Skinner, who started three juniors and two sophomores. "They were scared in the first quarter. It showed."
Terzic played a huge game, leading Antioch with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Fellow junior Robert Ritacca scored 8 of his 11 points, including two 3s, in helping the Sequoits outscore the Rams 26-12 in the third quarter. Recent sophomore call-up Mike Siperko added 10 points. Drew Moncelle and Alec Paramski scored 9 and 7, respectively, coming off the bench.
"We came together at the end of the first half," Terzic said. "We just said to each other, 'This might be our last game for our seniors - Eric Smith, Paramski.' We wanted to do it for them."