Schaumburg does what it takes to beat Barrington

Two out of three were good enough for Schaumburg on Saturday.

The Saxons won the rebounding (26-25) and turnover (13-12) battles against host Barrington, and despite being outscored 18-11 from the free-throw line, they wound up leaving with a 48-45 boys basketball victory that kept them in second place behind Fremd in the Mid-Suburban League West Division.

"It's the first game in a while where we won the rebounding," said Schaumburg coach Matt Walsh. "The kids competed very well."

They played especially well on defense in the second half when they held the Broncos (9-9, 1-4) to 5 points in the third quarter, while taking a 37-29 lead into the fourth.

"In the third quarter, we tightened up the defense," Walsh said. "We played well on defense in the fourth, but we had a hard time stopping their penetration."

The Broncos were a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in the fourth, and they cut the deficit to 37-35 with 4:19 left in the game. John Schneider (11 points) hit a pair, and Bryan Wegner (14) made 4 straight.

Declan Geraghty, one of two Saxons starters who missed several first-half minutes with foul trouble, made 4 free throws to give Schaumburg (10-6, 4-1) some breathing room at 43-37.

"We fouled early in the first half," Walsh said. "Any time we lose a starter, I'm not concerned, because we have good depth."

Wegner, coming back from a sprained ankle suffered last week against Conant, hit a pair of baskets, sandwiched around Richard Barnes' basket, cutting the margin to 45-41 with 1:27 left.

"He was playing on one leg," Barrington coach Bryan Tucker said. "He missed a lot of practice, but that's what you need from a leader."

Glenn Frost (13 points) made 2 free throws, and Schneider scored with 25 seconds left, cutting it to 47-45. Johnny Kirk (game-high 16) made 1 of 2 with 23 seconds left.

Barrington's last possession ended when James Stack's 3-point shot to tie the game missed its mark, and Barnes grabbed the rebound as time expired.

Kirk scored 10 of his 16 in the first half, including a pair of 3-pointers, as the Saxons took a 25-24 halftime lead. He made 3 of 6 from behind the arc.

"If I hit my first shot and my teammates help me find the ball, they will start falling," Kirk said.

"It's nice to see him get hot," Walsh said. "He had been struggling with his shot lately."

"We've made huge progress, and I'm happy with the effort," Tucker said. "We're looking for more consistency."