Schaumburg avoids Palatine’s upset bid
For three quarters, Palatine was able to play the slow-down style it wanted.
And it almost worked, but Schaumburg finally solved Palatine’s zone defense in the final quarter and pulled away for a 47-37 Mid-Suburban West victory over the upset-minded Pirates.
Palatine (1-14, 0-4) played the entire game rotating between a trapping 1-3-1 and a 2-3 zone that allowed it to take a 20-18 lead into halftime.
Schaumburg (11-4, 3-1), however, recovered to outscore Palatine 18-9 in the final quarter.
“We were very trap-conscious and tried to feel out the way that they were playing us, and I felt like we took off in the second half,” said Schaumburg’s Michael Mallett.
Trailing 28-26, Thomas Byrne knocked down a 3-pointer from the right wing with 12 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Saxons the lead for good.
Joe Faleni canned another long ball on the team’s second possession of the fourth before Mallett, who had a team-high 10 points, scored inside. Kyle Bolger’s (10 points) beautiful lob pass to Mallett on the back side of the zone increased the lead to 37-31 with 3:11 left.
“This game tonight was no surprise,” said Schaumburg coach Matt Walsh. “Palatine has been in every conference game that they’ve played.
“This is the MSL West. Every team is very well-coached and disciplined. There’s a certain familiarity.”
Behind John Millin’s game-high 16 points, the Pirates chipped away at the Saxons’ 12-8 lead after one quarter.
Millin’s baseline drive tied the game at 18-18 before Jordan Jarrett’s rebound and putback sent Palatine into the locker room ahead.
Millin’s ability to get to the rim gave the Pirates just enough offense to hang around. He broke Schaumburg’s pressure all by himself, going the length of the court for a layup to tie the game at 26-26 with 2:14 left in the third.
“We gave a good effort,” said Palatine coach Eric Millstone. “We communicated well and brought some good energy. But you have to make some plays in the fourth quarter, and that’s why Schaumburg is in the position that they’re in. They are battle-tested and make plays.”
Palatine switched defensive looks often and never let the Saxons get comfortable in their attack. Leading scorer Christian Spandiary attempted only 4 shots on the night but did his part with a game-high 10 rebounds.
Byrne made 5-of-6 from the line in the closing minutes to seal the win.
“I was really proud of our guys tonight,” Walsh said. “I thought we did a great job of sticking together, continuing to play. And finally we were able to string together some stops and get some timely shooting.”