Prospect dumps Barrington for MSL title
Grant DePalma is used to doing his share of heavy lifting as an all-area football player for Prospect.
So, DePalma had no problem when it came to hoisting the Mid-Suburban League boys basketball championship trophy as he walked off the court Wednesday night at Jean Walker Field House.
But the best part for the Knights was everyone weighed into their second title in three years and MSL record eighth title-game victory in a hard-fought 56-44 decision over Barrington.
“We can win all different ways,” said DePalma, who doubled his average with 12 points, hit a pair of 3-pointers and had 3 assists. “What a great way to prove it — in the championship game. It was a perfect team effort.”
One that gave the Knights (17-7) their MSL record 10th overall title even though they finished 9 points below their league-leading average.
The Knights countered at the other end by giving up 11 points fewer than their norm in their ninth win in 10 games. Barrington (18-10) shot just 32 percent from the field (18-for-56) and was 4-for-21 behind the 3-point line and 4-for-10 on free throws.
“We knew if we kept playing that way we could win,” DePalma said.
“I felt our defense was great in the first half,” said 6-foot-5 Prospect senior Terry Redding, who had game-highs of 16 points and 14 rebounds. “That kept us in it (19-18 lead at intermission) and we were very excited about our defense at halftime. Offensively we knew they were going to fall because they've fallen all season.
“Our defense stayed pretty consistent throughout. Once our offense got going I felt like we had the game.”
That happened midway through the third quarter after Barrington tied it at 27-27 on a 3-pointer by Tyler Weathered (10 points on 4-for-13 shooting). Brad Reibel scored off a miss — part of the Knights' 37-28 rebound advantage — to start a decisive 12-1 tear.
Matt Loebbaka (9 points) kicked the ball out to the top of the key to Redding for a 3. Barrington sophomore Brad Zaumseil (13 points) momentarily stopped the run by hitting a free throw.
But DePalma drove the baseline and found Redding inside for a 3-point play. Mike LaTulip (14 points on 4-for-14 shooting, 4 assists) followed with a steal and layup and took a feed from Redding for a slicing drive and a 39-28 lead with 7:20 to play.
“They're too talented to try and catch because of how they execute down the stretch,” said Barrington coach Bryan Tucker, whose team was making its first title-game appearance in 32 years. “They're so well coached.
“I was really disappointed with our defensive effort the entire game. The things we've done all year let us down tonight.”
Barrington could only get within 39-33 on a 3 by Zaumseil with 6:26 left and 44-37 on a John Schneider (10 points) layup at 4:17.
“I really don't think for long stretches we played how we should have played,” Weathered said. “We had a couple of stretches where we looked pretty good but we never really stayed with it.”
Prospect did as it committed only 9 turnovers, got its usual stifling defense from Danny O'Brien and had 6-9 Will Botefuhr grab 9 rebounds.
“I'm really happy for these guys to come where they are now,” said Prospect coach John Camardella.
“Tonight was a balanced effort and we really had to put aside any adversity we faced this year,” said LaTulip, who saw his streak of consecutive free throws end at 35 in the first quarter. “We had one common goal, to win a conference championship and we did it.”