Meadows finds scoring touch in victory over Buffalo Grove

Rolling Meadows bounced back from its lowest offensive output last week to produce a season best just one week later.

The Mustangs, who scored only 28 points in a Mid-Suburban League East Division boys basketball loss to Elk Grove, nearly tripled that total in a 73-66 victory over division rival Buffalo Grove on Saturday, their second win in three tries against BG this season.

"We're a good team, but we haven't been playing like we're capable," said Meadows coach Kevin Katovich. "All the credit goes to the kids. They don't quit. They're resilient. Tonight showed the tenacity of the kids."

Meadows (6-11, 2-4) led 62-39 with 4:31 remaining, but the Bison (11-7, 4-2) didn't go away without a fight.

BG scored 32 points in the fourth quarter, including 10 by Nick Prus (team-high 26 points with six 3-pointers) and 9 by Mike Cornely (15).

"We played with urgency," said BG coach Ryan O'Connor. "We haven't done that in a while. Truth be told, we lost the game on defense. You can't win many games with you give up 73 points."

That 23-point lead stood at 6 points after Jeff Zabrin (12 points) hit a 3-pointer to make it 70-64 with 37 seconds left. The Mustangs weathered the storm with their leading scorer Richie Kemph (game-high 30 points) on the bench the last four minutes of the game after being assessed a technical foul.

Not to worry, though, because Jimmy Garoppolo (season-best 16 points), Brian Nelms and Kyle Weiner each scored 7 fourth-quarter points to hold off the hard-charging Bison.

Along with his scoring, Garoppolo was a calming influence on the court during BG's rally.

"It was the best game he's played," Katovich said. "Now that he's committed to Eastern, there's a lot off his mind."

"Last week, I felt bad leaving the team," Garoppolo said of his official football recruiting visit to Eastern Illinois. "I felt I was letting them down."