Carlson, Sidlowski help Wauconda past Clemente

Don't let the double-doubles fool you.

Wauconda's 6-foot-7 Ben Carlson and 6-6 Ricky Sidlowski do more than score in the low post, rebound the basketball and block shots. The bigs also come up big at the free-throw line.

Take Wednesday night's Class 3A regional semifinal at Johnsburg.

Each player went 2 of 2 from the stripe late in the fourth quarter after Chicago Clemente pulled with 3 points. Carlson then sank 2 more foul shots down the stretch, as the sixth-seeded Bulldogs won 68-57.

"We get the ball a lot in the post, and we get fouled a lot so we have to finish," Carlson said.

Carlson finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. Sidlowski - who's shooting in the 3-point contest in the regional - had 13 points, 13 boards and 3 blocks. Both Carlson and Sidlowski are shooting better than 70 percent from the stripe this season.

Zac Lahrman scored a season-high 26 points to lead Wauconda (15-12), which will play No. 3 St. Patrick in the regional final at 7 p.m. Friday. Lahrman was 5 of 6 from the line.

"The kids had a goal of shooting above 70 percent (from the foul line this season)," Wauconda coach Scott Luetschwager said. "They've been working at the free throws all year long. To have Ricky and B.C. hit their free throws down the stretch was big.

"I trust all of my bigs, really, at the free-throw line," Luetschwager added. "Down the stretch, we got a lot of clutch shooters."

No Wauconda shooter was stroking it from the floor better than Lahrman, who also grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 6 assists. Lahrman sank three of his five 3-pointers in the first quarter. He shot 8 of 14 from the floor, with 4 of his misses coming from beyond the arc.

"I started out pretty hot, and then my teammates just kept finding me open and I kept hitting shots," Lahrman said.

"With him, it's just rhythm," Luetschwager said of the junior forward. "He was able to get in rhythm tonight. ... Usually we're trying to pound it down low to our bigs. He just felt it and let it go."

Wauconda led No. 11 Clemente 31-22 at halftime and was up 48-38 after three. But the Wildcats hit three 3s in the fourth and pulled within 58-55 on a 3-pointer by guard Albert Mendez with three minutes left.

Sidlowski and Carlson answered by sinking 2 free throws apiece, and the Bulldogs closed the game with a 10-2 run.

Mendez led Clemente (12-13) with 20 points (three 3s), and Michael Calhoun added 13.