Wauconda edges Grant to stay tied for NLCC lead

Wauconda had a challenge at home Friday on their senior night to bounce back from a loss Tuesday and retain their share of the NLCC lead against Grant.

The host school would have to respond to a late rally by the visitors that saw a 15-point second half nearly dissolve itself and quite possibly create a second overtime game like the double OT sophomore game that preceded it.

However, Wauconda held on for a 65-64 victory in a battle of schools with the same moniker — Bulldogs.

It allows the home team (15-9, 9-2) to keep its share of the NLCC lead with Grayslake Central (17-7, 9-2) who beat Round Lake 68-26 Friday.

"It was a great game honestly," Wauconda senior swingman Braeden Carlson said. "It was great (being) senior night. It really showed how we've come together during the season. We had a bad stretch there at the end obviously (but) we were able to complete (the game) when it mattered. I'm glad we pulled it out. It was a great team win."

The hosts had put together a 46-31 advantage with 4:44 left in the third when the visitors from Fox Lake (9-14, 5-6) started to chip away at that lead as they pulled within 55-45 by the end of the quarter.

Then they went on a 12-4 tear that brought them within 59-57 on a drive down the lane by junior guard Braylon Gray for two of his 15 with 3:36 left in regulation.

It was there that Carlson, a Mercer recruit, got a three-point play with 2:57 left that made it 62-57 only to have Gray respond with a steal, drive and layup with 1:21 remaining.

After Wauconda connected on 3 of 4 from the foul line including the 29th and 30th points from Carlson to make it 65--59, Grant junior guard Landon Enters (team-high 18 points) hurled a 3-point try that went in as he was fouled with four ticks left that closed the score to 65-62 setting him for a potential four-point play.

Only Enters missed the try. Gray grabbed the rebound and put it back in for two as time expired.

"Game situations. We talk about it all the time," Wauconda coach Ty Weiner said. "We have situational Saturdays (in practice) where we talk about things like this. You're up six points, you shouldn't foul. It goes in and they use their last timeout and we're still up three. That said, our seniors pulled together (and) got it done at the end of the day. We didn't lose our cool. That's what it's about."

Seniors Cayden Mudd (15 points) and Tyler Tylka (6 points, 13 rebounds) aided the Wauconda effort while seniors Ayden Sheppard (10 points) and Will Schubert (8 points, 10 rebounds) provided key contributions for Grant.

"We have a lot of talented players in this group," Grant coach Wayne Bosworth said. "We got a lot of guys who have no quit to them and they fight their (tails) off and that's been our focus for the past month. How can we take that step forward and turn that corner because we know that we can get hot still and start jelling together and making a rundown the stretch."