Scoop of Rice feeds Lakes' win over C-G
Lakes senior Kevin Guirand shook his head and smiled when asked to describe senior teammate Kevin Rice's 3-point play late in the fourth quarter Monday against visiting Cary-Grove.
"Ridiculous," Guirand said. "He always makes big shots."
Rice's scoop shot and ensuing free throw gave the Eagles a 58-55 advantage with 1:04 remaining. From there, Lakes held on for a hard-fought 61-58 victory.
By this point, Lakes' 1-4 start to the season has to be a distant memory. This was the 10th consecutive victory for the Eagles (11-4). Cary-Grove dropped to 9-5.
Rice's key basket began when he penetrated into the middle of the lane. He was forced to his left and he was able to bank it in while being fouled.
"I mess around with that shot in practice," said Rice, who hit four 3-pointers on his way to a team-high 19 points. "I was so excited we were able to expand our lead."
After Rice's layup, Cary-Grove committed its second consecutive turnover. This led to senior Trey Williams' layup and a 60-55 Lakes advantage. Cary-Grove senior Mark Tometich quickly hit a 3-pointer to make it 60-58 with 34.3 seconds remaining.
The Trojans fouled sophomore John Androus, who made 1 of 2 free throws. Before the Lakes victory was secure, the Eagles had to withstand two potential game-tying 3-pointers by Cary-Grove in the final 15 seconds. Guirand grabbed the second miss and threw the ball down the court as time expired.
"I wanted to make sure time ran out," Guirand said. "I felt so good when the game was finally over."
Cary-Grove senior Paul Tometich scored a game-high 22 points. He had a pair of 3-pointers and was able consistently to drive for points, particularly in the second half. Mark Tometich (13 points) also was in double figures.
One of the Trojans' six 3-pointers came when senior Ben Jacquier swished a 3-pointer from halfcourt just before the first-quarter buzzer.
Cary-Grove trailed by 9 points early in the fourth quarter, but the Trojans came back to take their first lead of the game at 55-54 with 1:41 remaining. During this stretch, Paul Tometich scored 8 of his points.
"We hung in on the road against a good team," Cary-Grove coach Ralph Schuetzle said. "We battled back, but we got what we deserved. We couldn't defend their penetration."
Guirand finished with 12 points for Lakes. Williams and Androus each had 11 points. Senior Dan Kalb scored 8 points and came through with a crucial block shot down the stretch.
"I think his block sparked our energy the last couple of minutes," Lakes coach Brian Phelan said. "We started the game strong and ended strong. I was most impressed with the way we kept our composure."