St. Charles North wins game, loses tiebreaker

St. Charles North did everything in its power to get its season back on the right track Tuesday at the Jacobs Holiday Classic except going 20-for-20 at the free-throw line.

That's about what the North Stars would have needed in their 54-43 victory over Crystal Lake South to win a tiebreaker with Barrington and advance to the championship bracket.

St. Charles North (6-6), Crystal Lake South (7-4) and Barrington (8-5) all finished 2-1 in pool play. The tournament uses free-throw percentage as a tiebreaker, and Barrington's 75 percent bettered St. Charles North (71.5) and Crystal Lake South (61).

The North Stars shot 10 of 14 at the free-throw line Tuesday. In the fourth quarter of Barrington's 63-30 win over Prairie Ridge that followed the North Stars' victory, Bronco fans cheered the most for made free throws. Barrington made 17 of 23.

“I'd rather it be points allowed but I guess this is such a great tournament that if there was one thing you picked out you'd change it would be that,” St. Charles North Tom Poulin said of the tiebreaker. “That's the way it is. That's part of the competition, make your free throws.”

The North Stars, who instead will play Zion-Benton at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the consolation A bracket, could take solace in playing a much better game than Monday's 67-56 loss to Barrington, a defeat that ended up denying them a chance of reaching a fourth straight championship game.

“The improvement was in our effort, our focus and our intensity,” Poulin said. “We have to come out and decide to compete each possession. Our improvement I think was between the ears. We played with a lot more heart than yesterday.”

Sixth-man Jason Weinzirl gave the North Stars a lift Tuesday with a career-high 11 points, including three 3-pointers.

“It's (6-6) not quite what we hoped for,” Weinzirl said. “Lot of season left still. There's going to be good things to come.

“Our main goal is to keep playing as a team, come together and keep getting those wins. The games we have been playing well on defense are the games we have been getting the ‘Ws.' Getting the rebounds and the transition buckets.”

St. Charles North opened the game getting the ball inside to Josh Mikes for two quick baskets. Mikes made it 6-0 with a layup before the Gators finally got on the scoreboard with 3:46 left in the first quarter.

The North Stars never trailed in the first half, taking a 23-17 halftime lead when sophomores Tony Neari and Quinten Payne hooked up for a transition basket set up by Neari's steal.

Poulin said the North Stars pressed for the first time this year in part to up their energy level.

Before Tuesday, the North Stars had only used their press in practice and scrimmages with the sophomore team. The move paid off, not only with 18 Gator turnovers but keeping his team's head in the game.

“I was trying to wake them up at the start of the game by pressing,” Poulin said. “I was switching defenses during the game just to keep them focused and keep us into the game mentally.

“We may have found an identity. We may be one of those teams that junks it up a little, changes defenses, traps out of man, traps out of three-quarter, half-court, full-court. They seemed to respond well to that style. And we also have guys who like to play in transition.”

The Gators took their only leads of the game late in the third quarter. Ryan Price drained a corner 3 that put them ahead for the first time, 31-29.

Weinzirl's 3-pointer gave the North Stars the lead for good 35-33, and he followed defensively with a steal he took the other way to make it 37-33.

Weinzirl's 3 came right after a block by Payne on the other end on what looked like an easy Gator basket for a 5-point swing. Payne blocked two shots and was called for goaltending on another play.

The Gators pulled within 43-42 with 5:56 left in the fourth quarter on a Kevin Rogers 3-pointer only to watch Weinzirl answer with a 3 of his own. That started the North Stars on a 9-0 run that put the game away.

“Our main purpose was to get the ball into the big men,” Weinzirl said. “They would cheat down and left me open in the corner. I was just hitting open shots.”

In addition to Weinzirl's play off the bench, the North Stars also got the ball inside to Kyle Nelson. The 6-foot-7 center scored 8 of his team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of baskets early in the quarter on assists by Neari and Payne.

Robbie Lemke led the Gators with 13 points. A win would have put them in the championship bracket but like the North Stars they came up short at the line. They will play Hope Academy at noon Wednesday.

“Ultimately it is disappointing for the kids,” Gators coach Dan DeBruycker said. “They put themselves in this opportunity that they needed to win and know they are moving onto the championship bracket and not put it up for hope on free throws.”

Mikes joined Nelson and Weinzirl in double figures with 14 points and led the North Stars' 29-17 rebounding advantage with 8.

Instead of the championship bracket, the North Stars will get perhaps a tired Zion-Benton team that went to three overtimes in Tuesday's win over Marian Central.

“We're going to compete and try to win whatever game is in front of us,” Poulin said. “That's what we need to do. We haven't come out focused and ready to win a basketball game. That could be on me, that could be on our leaders, for whatever reason it's happened. Going forward from here we're coming to win every basketball game we play.”