Boys basketball: Conant completes sweep over Hoffman Estates

There was plenty on the line Friday as Conant entertained its intra-village rival Hoffman Estates.

First, there was the opportunity to pick up another win in divisional play against an arch rival.

Second, the chance to improve their sectional seed with that same win as seeds and pairings will be announced next week.

And third, the simple added bonus of picking up some crucial late-season momentum in the process.

Thanks to their resolve that overcame a poor start, the host Cougars got themselves into a winning groove as it beat Hoffman 61-51 on their senior night for a season series sweep.

"We came out kind of slow," Conant senior guard Nate Hahn said if his team's early start which saw them go just 2 for 13 (15%) in the first quarter .

"They (Hoffman) were ready to beat us and at halftime we talked about how we wanted to win. We knew we had to finish this game off."

The visitors raced to an early 20-6 advantage after one quarter courtesy of 12 points from junior guard Torrey Baskin including his team’s last 7 points of the period that included a steal, drive, and layup in the final minute.

That lead would not hold as the hosts used a 13-4 tear to place them within 29-26 on an Andreas Sassaris hoop with 20 seconds left in the half. Baskin (game-high 23 points) it a buzzer-beating layup off a perfectly executed inbounds pass to give the Hawks a 31-26 halftime lead.

After the first of Hahn's four treys and a Saahas Talluri basket evened things at 31 just 95 ticks into the second half, Hoffman (18-9, 2-7) appeared to regain control of the contest with a 10-4 tear courtesy of 5 of senior guard Joey Hernandez's 11 points.

That left them up 41-34 with 3:54 left in the third before Conant (12-13, 4-5) roared its way back with an 11-2 run over the period's final 3:18. Senior forward Bradley Biedke capped the run with a stuff that gave them the lead for good at 45-43 entering the fourth.

After both teams went scoreless in the first three minutes of the fourth, Hahn's fourth and final triple got Conant going again. A Harlum Drake bucket and a charity toss by Biedke (11 points, 15 rebounds) opened up a 51-43 advantage with 3:00 to play before the Hawks got within 51-46 on a three-point play by Chris Mobley seven seconds later.

A Sassaris free throw followed by consecutive buckets from senior Rohan Patel (13 points, 7 rebounds) gave the hosts some needed breathing room at 56-46 with 1:46 left.

Hahn, who led the Cougars with 21 points, talked about getting out of his recent shooting slump with his 6-for-13 effort from the floor.

"When I hit that first one I knew it was time to shoot the ball and I knew that every shot was going in and I had the confidence," Hahn said.

First-year Conant coach Greg Grana spoke of how proud he was of his squad's defensive effort especially in the second half as it held Hoffman to just 8-27 shooting (33%).

"We take pride in our defense and we have to play a certain way and our guys love to play that way and it's hard,“ Grana said. ”We really had to do what we do."