Slow start sinks Antioch
Starters at Friday night's Crystal Lake Central Thanksgiving Tournament were not introduced before the Antioch-Prairie Ridge game.
The P.A. announcer was AWOL.
That gave Antioch boys basketball coach Mike Skinner a little extra time to deliver a not-so-subtle reminder to his Sequoits.
“We need to play with ridiculous energy,” he implored before the tip, his animated eyes darting at each of his huddled starters.
Skinner's boys did just that in the fourth quarter. Too late. PR's Wolves had used a 26-point second quarter to pave their way to a 65-51 victory.
“None of us had the intensity we needed to have at the beginning tonight,” Antioch senior Mike Siperko admitted after netting a team-high 15 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. “I could tell during the game. I could tell even during our warm-up. We have to be ready before our next game. We also have to box out better and sprint better than we did tonight.”
The first quarter Friday night was rather pedestrian as both teams scored 8 points. Prairie Ridge (1-1) then turned into Jimmie Johnson in high tops, racing to a 26-15 lead at 4:07 of the second quarter. Wolves forward Sean Valentine (20 points, 4 3-pointers) had an absolutely lovely frame, nailing an astounding 3 treys in a breathless 48-second span.
A 3-pointer from Emery Paramski (6 points, 2 3-pointers) served as Antioch's lone bright spot in PR's 16-3, game-turning run.
“We should be able to play with energy in the first quarter,” Skinner said. “In every quarter, really. We're capable of it. I know it; our players know it. And we have weapons, good weapons. We're also deep.”
Antioch reserve Joe Gregory (5 points) hit a field goal to cut the Wolves' advantage to 40-31 at 3:48 of the third quarter. But PR ended the quarter on a 10-0 run and essentially coasted from there.
The Sequoits (0-2) played with playoff-type urgency in the final quarter, especially on defense. Tireless 6-foot senior Sam Green (13 rebounds) collected 2 steals, and Siperko and Anthony Formella secured 1 apiece. Siperko and junior William Waschow combined for 13 Sequoits points, with Siperko authoring 7 of them. Gregory and reserve Ryan Hartman each nailed a trey, as Antioch outscored PR 21-14 in the final 8 minutes.
“Coach talked to us before that fourth quarter,” recalled Siperko. “He said some things we needed to hear important things. We came out pumped up for that last quarter, and we played with intensity and energy for the entire fourth quarter.”
Connor Perry, Mac Curtis and James Stawarz (8 boards) each scored 10 points for the Wolves.
Sequoits junior forward Karl Nettgen did not play because of a knee injury. He got hurt Monday in the third quarter of a season-opening loss to McHenry.
PR plays its tourney finale against Hoffman Estates at 5:30 p.m. today; Antioch faces the host school at 7 p.m.