St. Viator beaming about balanced performance
St. Viator's fearsome senior foursome was too much for the terrific twosome of Prospect's LaTulip brothers in Tuesday night's nonconference boys basketball game at Cahill Gym in Arlington Heights.
Alan Aboona's team-high 26 points led four above-average performances and offset a combined 44 points and 10 3-pointers from Mike and Joe LaTulip as the Lions (18-6) pulled away to an 81-64 win.
"This was how we started out the year," said Aboona, who was 10-for-19 from the field and had 6 rebounds and 5 assists. "Now we're finally getting that back.
"Especially against a good team like Prospect, it feels good to put up 81 and work the offense really well."
Brendan King had a career-high 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting, Richard McLoughlin shot 8-for-11 for 16 points and Jack Etchingham made all 4 of his shots to finish with 14.
The Lions finished at 57.4 percent from the field (31-for-54), committed only 7 turnovers and sophomore Chris Myjak had 8 rebounds of their 31-22 advantage.
"We were a little more under control on the offensive end than we have been," said Viator coach Joe Majkowski of matching the season-high in an 81-31 win in the third game against Marine Military.
"A lot of us were making a play for somebody else and that's a big thing for us," King said. "We definitely need to be more aggressive, me especially. A lot of times I get timid and pass up shots that are OK to take."
Prospect (16-7) sophomore Mike LaTulip was making nearly everything he took to match his career-high of 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting and 6-for-8 on 3s. He did it in just 19:37 off the bench with a group of senior reserves getting a chance to start.
"I went to him during the game, 'Have you missed today,'" King said. "He said, 'I've never played in this gym. I love this gym.'"
But the most Prospect could cut a 43-26 deficit to was 67-61 with 4:20 left. Viator went to a 2-3 zone in the fourth to slow the pace and have a better chance to find Mike and Joe LaTulip (15 points, four 3s).
It was the most points Prospect allowed since an 82-56 loss to Glenbrook North on Dec. 17, 2005.
"It's the intangibles recently that have been lacking," said Prospect coach John Camardella of giving up 70-plus points for the third time in four games. "The answer isn't in a scouting report. The answer can only come from within."
Elk Grove 59, Streamwood 52: Host Elk Grove led 42-41 early in the fourth but went on a 17-2 spurt in a nonconference win.
Donny Duschinsky scored a team-best 19 points and made 12-of-13 foul shots as Elk Grove (10-15) won for the fifth time in six games. Senior center Scott Siwicki had 14 points and senior guard Brian Battaglia had 10.
Wheeling 64, Round Lake 61: Junior guard Ricky Schwind scored a season-high 20 points to help Wheeling (4-20) snap an 11-game losing streak and give head coach Lou Wool his 100th career victory at Round Lake.
Junior guard Tyler Shapiro had 15 points and senior forward Kevin Kortum had 9.
Glenbrook N. 50, Hersey 46: Hersey (13-11) rallied from an 11-point halftime defict to within a point in the final minute before visiting Glenbrook North (20-4) held on.
Kyle Miklasz had 16 points and Jordan Mertes and Tom Sutrinaitis added 10 and 8 points respectively for Hersey. Notre Dame-bound Alex Dragicevich scored 20 points for the Spartans.
Warren 53, Hoffman 42: Lance Vesper scored 12 points and Kevin Tiongson added 8 for host Hoffman Estates (12-11) in the nonconference loss. Warren (11-10) led 42-24 after three quarters in its eighth straight victory.