Hoffman Estates spoils Manning's return

The old point guard was still thinking right along with his old coach Saturday night.

So after Hoffman Estates took a 2-point lead with eight seconds left, Huntley boys basketball coach Marty Manning knew better than to use his final timeout.

Junior scoring leader Tyler Brunschon drove the length of the floor but his 8-footer on the baseline rimmed out with a second left and Hoffman (11-8) spoiled Manning's homecoming with a 38-36 nonconference victory.

"I told Tyler I would have called timeout," Manning said with a grin, "but I would almost guarantee you he (Hoffman coach Bill Wandro) would have double-teamed you."

Wandro laughed and concurred with the all-area point guard of his 1996 Class AA Elite Eight qualifier. He also admired what he saw of Huntley (12-8) in the first meeting since Manning took over four years ago.

"Their kids really, really, really outmuscled us and outplayed us and beat us to the ball," said Wandro, who emphatically made the point during a late third-quarter timeout after Huntley freshman Bryce Only dived on the floor for a loose ball. "Statistically they beat us in every category but one, and that was the scoreboard."

It didn't look as if that would happen on a night where neither team was separated by more than 4 points. A pullup jumper by Adrian Avelar, a nice low-post move by Richard Gonzaga and a Greg Scime free throw put Huntley up 33-30 with 2:32 to play.

Hoffman hadn't hit a field goal since 6-foot-7 Lance Vesper (11 points, 9 rebounds) hit a 3 with 4:20 left in the third. But Vesper kicked the ball out to Kevin Tiongson (12 points) for a tying 3 at 2:12.

"(Assistant) coach (Mike) Brown always tells us to be solid (defensively)," Tiongson said. "I thought in the fourth quarter we were pretty solid."

Hoffman shot just 32.4 percent from the field (11-for-34) and 2-for-14 on 3s but got the right guy to the free-throw line in Tiongson. The 95-percent shooter hit 2 at 1:29 after Jimmy Fabbrini forced a held ball and hit two more with 28.5 seconds left.

Brunschon's 3 at 0:10 got Huntley within 37-36. Tiongson had a rare miss on his first free throw but made the second as Hoffman survived.

"Everything was weird and I didn't know were to do our pregame," Manning said. "I'm sitting on the bench on the other side. But it was fun and nice to go up against coach (Wandro)."