Barrington comes back to top Fremd

The game had no bearing on the Mid-Suburban West boys basketball title, but Barrington and host Fremd treated an appreciative Senior Night crowd to a preview of what might be in store when tournament time rolls around in another 10 days.

The Broncos tightened up the game defensively after trailing 31-24 at halftime and battled the Vikings (14-11, 5-5) down to the wire, emerging with a 54-51 victory.

Barrington (18-8, 7-3) went on an 11-0 run in the third quarter, erasing a 36-28 deficit. Mark Bennett (13 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocked shots) scored 9 in the third quarter.

Down the stretch, the Broncos, relied on senior John Schneider. He split a pair of free throws to tie the game at 48-48, and his basket at the 3:54 mark tied it again at 50-50. Schneider converted a 3-point play with 1:03 left that gave the Broncos the lead for good at 53-50.

"It was like a regional championship game," Fremd coach Bob Widlowski said. "Every possession was magnified at both ends of the floor for both teams."

"It was a game of attrition, a typical physical MSL game," Barrington coach Bryan Tucker said. "I was disappointed in our defense the first half, but we made adjustments. We held them to 1 field goal in the fourth quarter."

Tucker also thought Schneider, who scored 8 of his 10 points in the fourth quarter, has put the hand injury that sidelined him for nearly half the season behind him.

"When he came back after 7 weeks, there was some rust, but he's in midseason form," Tucker said. "He's getting more and more comfortable."

Bennett led a balanced attack, with four players in double figures. Scott Nelson contributed 12 points and Brad Zaumseil 10. Nate Serviss led a balanced Fremd offense with 10 points, while Riley Glassman and Garrett Peters each scored 9 and Sean Benka added 8.