Aggressive Evans lifts Streamwood over Geneva
Streamwood's Julius Evans saw the chance to attack and took it.
With the game tied 39-39, Evans slashed through the Geneva defense for an easy, uncontested layup with 7 seconds remaining Friday night that gave the Sabres the lead. Ryan Willing's last-second 3-pointer hit the front of the rim as Streamwood dealt the Vikings a blow to their Upstate Eight River chances with a 41-39 victory.
"I saw an open lane, an open drive," said Evans, a junior. "I thought they were going to shift over. When they didn't shift over, I just took it to the hole."
The Sabres (6-14, 2-6) never trailed after D.J. Mustari nailed a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left in the first quarter to give Streamwood a 11-10 lead. The game was tied four times in the final three quarters, twice in the second quarter and twice in the fourth, but the Vikings could not hit a basket to get the lead.
Streamwood led 18-17 at halftime and 29-25 after the third quarter.
Dan Hince's 3-pointer 40 seconds into the fourth got Geneva (10-14, 5-4) within 1, 29-28. After Bobby Post hit 1 of 2 free throws, Dan Trimble's offensive rebound and putback tied the game for the Vikings at 30-30.
Mustari started a 7-0 run with a long 3-pointer as Streamwood took a 37-30 lead with 4:30 remaining. Geneva's Marcus Stierwalt hit a 3-pointer from the left corner with 1:07 left to cut the deficit to 39-37. Trimble hit a pair of free throws with 22 seconds left to tie the game at 39-39.
Streamwood got the ball across half court just before a 10-second violation. Evans got the ball near midcourt, made a move to his left and drove the lane for the game-winner.
"I wasn't going to call a timeout because he is the guy who can take the ball to the bucket," Sabres coach Tim Jones said. "He saw a lane and went with his left hand. He made a nice drive to the basket."
Evans led the Sabres with 11 points. Post added 7 points and 5 rebounds. Mustari and Dalton Lundeen each had 6 points off the bench.
The Vikings entered Friday a half-game behind Elgin, St. Charles East and St. Charles North in the Upstate Eight River standings. After their loss and wins by Elgin and St. Charles North, the Vikings are now 1 ½ games out with three conference games remaining.
Trimble scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds to lead Geneva. Willing had 6 points off the bench.
"We didn't run our offense effectively as we could have," said Vikings coach Phil Ralston, who saw his team shoot 28 percent (13-for-47).
"We just didn't hit shots. I thought our effort was valiant there at the end. It's like sticking a dagger in you when you see a kid knife his way through the lane, (after) playing a great defensive game, go from the middle of the floor all the way to the rim uncontested."