Boys basketball: Fremd gets back on winning track against Prospect

After Fremd suffered its first loss of the season to archrival Palatine the Friday before Christmas, it went on a 10-game win streak that ended Monday afternoon at the Lakes MLK Tourney final when the Vikings lost to Lakes on a last-second 3-point basket.

So the query that had to be made to coach Mike Brown's Vikings was how would they respond Thursday night from that defeat when they made the trek to Prospect for an MSL West tilt.

After the first eight minutes of play concluded at Jean Walker Fieldhouse, it was clear that Fremd's reply was both solid and strong enough to return to its winning ways as the Vikings headed back home with a 59-34 win.

The victory allowed the Vikings (18-2, 6-1) to keep their share of first place in the West. They swept the regular-season series over the Knights, which completed the first time the schools had met twice in league play since the MSL was a single-division league back in the 1969-70 season.

“They had a good attitude going into this game,” Brown said. “They were chomping at the bit ready to play and they came out like that especially in the first quarter.”

Thanks to a 14-2 run over the final 4:31 of the opening period, the Vikings established control of the contest, taking a 21-9 advantage into the second quarter.

Once again the Vikings’ surge centered around their senior forward trio of 6-foot-7 Jordan Williams, 6-6 Rafael Pinto and 6-5 Tommy Moffett. All three helped build the lead to 28-14 at halftime. Both Moffett (game-high 15) and Pinto (14) tallied 9 points each in the deciding half.

Illinois State recruit Williams scored 10 of his 14 in the second half as the lead soared as high as 26 in the final period.

Fellow senior Chase Nelson added 8 for Fremd. Senior guard Anderson Neach's 8 led the way for the hosts (8-12, 1-6).

Moffett, who added 8 rebounds, spoke of his team's desire to return to play after their loss.

“It has a lot to do with our coaching and how hard we work in practice,” Moffett said. “It's just (simply) gaining more and more chemistry every day and every week and getting ready for the postseason. That's all that matters.”