Mundelein bounces back with balance after tough loss

Simple math would dictate that three is always greater than two.

It's that type of math that Mundelein coach Dick Knar has been trying to impress upon his boys basketball team.

When the Mustangs get three double-digit scorers, they have been almost unbeatable.

Saturday night at Deerfield, Mundelein got the balance it missed in its upset loss at Lake Zurich the previous night.

Sophomore Robert Knar poured in a team-best 21 points, while Evansville-bound Ryan Sawvell and fellow senior Leavon Head each added 18, as Mundelein hit 20 wins for the first time in four years by dropping Deerfield 73-59.

Head's point total was a season high.

"You can't stop three guys when we score like that," Robert Knar said. "It definitely takes the pressure off when we get balanced scoring like that."

Head was a big key as the third option in the Mundelein offense. He scored 11 points in the first half, including a trio of 3-pointers to help the Mustangs build the lead.

Mundelein (20-3) blew the game open with an explosive third quarter. Up 38-29 at halftime, the Mustangs quickly hiked the lead to a more comfortable 50-34. Sawvell's strong inside played keyed a 12-5 spurt. After scoring just 3 first-half points, Sawvell netted 10 of the Mustangs' 12 points in the third.

"We talked about starting our offense inside in the second half," Dick Knar said. "Ryan had to get the ball and be more decisive and quicker to the basket, and he was in the third quarter."

The Mustangs opened the lead up to over 20 points to start the fourth, before Deerfield (9-9) slowly clawed back into the game. Senior Jack Carney, who tied for game-best scoring honors with 21 points, ignited two fast breaks that saw the Warriors close within 72-59 with 3:31 left.

But the Mustangs were able to wear down the Warriors in the final minutes to hold on for their 14th win in 15 games.

"I don't think you ever like to learn from a loss," Robert Knar said. "But if we can take something like that to get ready for Lake Forest and Warren next week and that makes us better, then it's OK."

Josh Schur (14 points) and Sam Sternberg (13) also scored in double figures for Deerfield.