Knar's big night lifts Mundelein

When people start to get old, they sometimes bring out the old cliche that "Age is just a number."

Well, it can work both ways.

Just because you're young doesn't mean you can't hang with the big boys.

Robert Knar proved on Monday night that his age doesn't have a thing to do with his ability to coolly knock down 3-pointers over older players in a varsity basketball game.

The Mundelein freshman, all of a week into his first varsity basketball season, went crazy - Crazy Eights, that is - and rolled up a whopping 8 three-pointers en route to a 79-63 victory over Lakes in the final game of the Mundelein Thanksgiving tournament. Knar finished with a career- and game-high 28 points.

"I really don't care how old Robert is," Mundelein junior forward Ryan Sawvell said. "If he can play, he should be where he's at. And he proved it tonight. He's an unbelievable player.

"I'd play him on my team, I know that."

The Mustangs also left the gym knowing that they are now 4-1 on the season with their only loss coming in a tight game against Evanston, the tournament champion.

"I'm disappointed (about not getting first place in the tournament), but that's all in the past now," said Knar, who also is apparently wise beyond his years. "Now we're focusing on our next game. We're excited for a good season."

Knar, who is the son of Mundelein head coach Dick Knar, has been starting from the get-go and has fit seamlessly into the Mustangs' lineup. He can drive to the basket, but his forte is his long-range shooting.

"The past games, I haven't been feeling it as much," Knar said. "My dad told me to just step in, not even think about it and take my shot.

"I guess it worked today."

And at just the right times.

Lakes (0-5) hung around for the entire first half, was down by only three points at halftime (30-27) and even took the lead in the third quarter. But with just more than a minute to play in the quarter, Knar gave the Mustangs quite a bit more breathing room when he extended a five-point lead (49-44) to 11 points with back-to-back 3-pointers.

Knar did the same thing later in the fourth quarter to drive the final nail in Lakes' coffin.

"That kid can shoot," Lakes senior guard Tyler Swindle said of Knar. "I tried my best (to guard Knar). It was kind of tough to get through the picks and stop him.

"I knew he was a freshman but I thought he would be more of a decoy. But he showed he can shoot."

So did Swindle. He had 3 three-pointers of his own and finished with 17 points, just behind teammate John Androus, who had 18 points.

Meanwhile, Mundelein also got double-figures from Sawvell and Ben Brust, who tallied 22 and 19 points respectively.

Sawvell bounced back after an 0-for-7 showing from the field in the first half to connect on 7 of his 10 attempts after the break. Two of his field goals went down as thunderous dunks.

"Any time I dunk in a game, it's an unbelievable feeling and I love it," Sawvell said. "At the start of the game, all the shots I was taking were good shots, they just weren't falling. They started to fall in the second half."