Zaumseil’s buzzer-beater boosts Barrington

Barrington junior guard Brad Zaumseil was in the right place at the right time.

Barrington trailed Schaumburg for the majority of its Mid-Suburban West battle Friday, but with time running down, Zaumseil converted a lay-in at the buzzer after a missed shot, pushing the Broncos to a 45-44 victory.

“Timing is everything,” said Barrington coach Bryan Tucker of Zaumseil’s buzzer-beater. “I’m proud of how the kids hung in there. They kept fighting and fighting”

Zaumseil scored a team-high 10 points for Barrington (7-3, 2-1), and none was bigger than his last shot.

“Coach always says crash the boards,” said Zaumseil of game-winner. “I knew time was running down and I just tried to get it up there.”

Schaumburg (6-3, 2-1) took a 42-37 lead with 2:40 remaining on a basket by Michael Mallet (4 points), but the Saxons couldn’t protect the lead.

Schaumburg had its opportunities but could not convert on a pair of 1-and-1 free throws in the final 38 seconds. A lane violation also helped lift Barrington.

“When a play absolutely needed to be made in critical stretches of the game, Barrington made it,” said Schaumburg coach Matt Walsh of the Saxons’ last-minute breakdowns. “Zaumseil was the difference-maker in the game.”

Senior Mark Bennett added 8 points for Barrington, and senior Taylor Ganzer (6 points), senior Ryan Carroll (5 points) and junior Robby Vollman (5 points) came off the bench to give the Broncos a lift both offensively and defensively.

“We had some kids step in and help with our defense,” said Tucker.

Junior Jimmy Lundquist scored a game-high 22 points, and hit four 3-pointers in the second quarter to spark Schaumburg.

But Barrington used a 7-0 run to close out the first half, with Carroll scoring the final 5 points to give the Broncos a 25-24 halftime advantage.

Schaumburg took control early in the third quarter as the Saxons used an 8-0 run in taking a 32-25 advantage with 5:40 remaining in the quarter.

Senior Christian Spandiary scored 6 points in the third quarter, and sophomore Kyle Bolger (7 points) helped direct the Saxons’ attack as they entered the final quarter with a 36-32 lead.

But Barrington kept within striking distance and made the most of its final opportunities.

“We just kept playing,” said Zaumseil. “It’s a big win for us. Our goal is definitely to win conference, and this puts us in a good position.”