Barrington goes down fighting

The score may not show it but the No. 17 ranked Barrington boys basketball team gave top-seeded Lake Forest a run for its money Wednesday night before falling 67-46 in a Class 4A regional semifinal at Stevenson High School.

The Broncos (7-22) did just about everything right in the first half, shooting 68 percent from the floor with six 3-pointers.

Lake Forest senior Matt Vogrich scored 17 first-half points but that's exactly what Barrington wanted when it entered the locker room at halftime with the score tied 26-26.

"We know how good Vogrich is so we didn't want any of the other players to have a big half, and we did that," said Barrington coach Marty Dello, who was coaching his final game at the helm of the program. "The guys followed the game plan and really executed it. We did everything we wanted."

Things deteriorated quickly in the third quarter, though.

The Scouts started spreading the ball around and went on a 22-5 run that all but buried the Broncos.

Barrington senior Mack Darrow scored a team-high 15 points and tallied 3 blocks.

Junior guard Kyle O'Keefe added 12 points off the bench, all coming from his four 3-pointers.

"There was no pressure on us," Darrow said of playing the No. 1 seed. "We did a good job in the first half, but I think they showed why they're a one seed. They have more depth and can go to the bench a little more than we can, and ultimately I think that made the difference."

For Dello, the first half provided some of the best basketball he's seen from a team that had its share of struggles on the court.

"I'm really proud of my kids," Dello said. "Since Christmas we've played really well. I have a soft spot in my heart for our seniors and was glad to see them come out to a nice applause from the crowd."

"It's a tough way to go out," Darrow added. "The season has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. We fought extremely well and it was definitely a pleasure to play one last time with these guys. I wouldn't trade it for anything."