Big finish lifts Prairie Ridge past Grayslake North
As the final seconds of the third quarter ticked off the clock, Grayslake North spread the floor. Jamal Thomas then created even more space, backing up nearly to the edge of the center circle before leaning in and launching an extra-long shot.
The basketball hit nothing but net, Thomas screamed joyously and the Knights sprinted to their bench up 7 points in their Fox Valley Conference Fox Division showdown against visiting Prairie Ridge.
"I'm not exactly sure what that was," Grayslake North coach Todd Grunloh said. "But I was more than willing to take it (smiling). We're yelling to run a set play and then I was like, 'He's going to shot-fake?' "
Thomas' 3-pointer capped what Grunloh called a "phenomenal" third quarter for his team, but Prairie Ridge had a better finish in mind.
The Wolves outscored the Knights 23-9 in the fourth quarter, sinking three straight 3-pointers in a 67-second span, and rallied for a 59-52 win Friday night. The thrilling victory clinched the second FVC Fox championship in a row for Prairie Ridge (21-3, 11-0).
"It was awesome," said 6-foot-2 junior Kyle Loeding, who came off the bench to lead the Wolves with 18 points and 4 rebounds, including three offensive. "The atmosphere was amazing. You don't get too many games like this. We knew it was going to be a tough game. Grayslake North is an amazing team. We just had to pull it together. We were very focused throughout the whole day."
Thomas finished with a game-high 21 points for Grayslake North (20-3, 9-2), which started strong in looking to improve to 8-0 at home this season.
Loeding sparked Prairie Ridge almost as soon as the second quarter began. He scored 10 points in the quarter, after Grayslake North had a 14-11 lead after one quarter, and the visitors used a zone that frustrated the Knights.
"Second quarter, I thought we just dribbled too much," Grunloh said. "They're in a zone, and we're trying to make them go back and forth, back and forth, and run them all over the place."
The Knights moved the ball better in the third quarter and knocked down shots. Thomas' buzzer beater was the Knights' fourth 3 of the quarter. Bobby Krebs sank a pair from beyond the arc after the Knights trailed 31-20 early in the third.
"More than anything else, we got stops," said Grunloh, whose Knights outscored the Wolves 23-7 in the third to go up 43-36. "Even in the first half, when we got stops, we didn't really look to push the ball."
After a steal and 13-foot jumper by Thomas, Grayslake North had a 45-40 lead with 4:50 left. But Payton Otto answered with a jump shot, and then the Wolves hit the Knights with their trio of quick strikes - by Christopher Bradshaw, Logan Card and Brian Dorn - from beyond the arc.
"We really passed the ball around well," Loeding said. "We played well as a unit."
Prairie Ridge suddenly had a 51-45 lead with 3:03 to go, and Grayslake North never got closer than three after that.
"We just got hot at the right time," Wolves coach Corky Card said.
"I think we just started to panic a little bit defensively," Grunloh said. "I thought Otto started to establish himself. Even if he wasn't the one making it, he was getting to the elbow and distributing and at least putting pressure on the defense."
Otto, who sat most of the first three quarters with foul trouble, scored 6 of his 9 points in the fourth. Bradshaw finished with 9 points on three 3-pointers. Dorn had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
Prairie Ridge held Aidan Einloth to 11 points. Krebs (three 3-pointers) and James Connolly each had 9 points for Grayslake North.
"It was just a good high school basketball game. Kids on both sides making plays," Corky Card said. "Aidan Einloth, the Thomas kid, Connolly, Krebs ... they play so well together. It's really fun to watch that team."