Signs pointing up for Meadows

Rolling Meadows' climb to the .500 mark has not been easy.

Getting back into the heart of the Mid-Suburban East boys basketball race could be even tougher.

But the Mustangs (9-9, 3-3) have already proved to be a factor in the East when they handed Hersey its first division loss and knocked it back into a tie with Prospect.

And Meadows, which lost its first three division games, can have an even larger impact on who wins the East when it travels to Buffalo Grove (12-7, 4-2) at 7:30 p.m. today and hosts Prospect (10-6, 5-1) next Friday.

"The guys keep talking every day about preparing to succeed and they're doing it," coach Kevin Katovich said after Meadows won its fourth straight game 70-57 win over Glenbard South on Tuesday. "They're focused and ready to work. It's a fun year to coach."

Especially when the Mustangs get off to starts such as the one Saturday where they scored the game's first 17 points in the 75-71 win over Hersey.

"That was unbelievable," Katovich said. "I told someone it was the best stretch of basketball we've played since I've been here."

Katovich said junior guard Brian Nelms "has been playing the best basketball of his high school career" in the last month. Nelms had 12 assists against Hersey and scored a career-high 26 points against Glenbard South.

Nelms has a variety of options to choose from in 6-foot-6 senior Paul Volkman, who is averaging 19.3 points in the four-game winning streak, and junior Tyler Gaedele (area-best 50 3-pointers).

The return of 6-7 senior Scott Shewmon, who missed the first eight games because of injury, has added depth. Senior Mike Crigler and juniors Mike Olson and Mike Rose have provided a boost off the bench.

And Katovich is happiest for the four seniors who stuck it out Volkman, Crigler, Shewmon and James Nolan since their class won only 5 games as freshmen and six as sophomores.

Meadows did avenge its MSL East loss to BG with a 79-67 victory in the seventh-place game of the Elgin Holiday Tournament. But 6-7 Sam Wacker (10.2 ppg) was out with an ankle injury and seniors Nick Prus and Dan Recht saw limited minutes.

"It will be tough," Katovich said.

But the Mustangs have already showed some toughness to get back to where they are right now.

Saxons look to put it together: Last Friday a big first quarter propelled Schaumburg (8-9, 4-2) to a 50-41 MSL West win over Hoffman Estates.

On Saturday it needed a furious finish to force overtime before suffering a heartbreaking 56-54 loss to Lockport at the Sears Centre.

"We took a step forward toward the end of the game," Schaumburg guard Javon McDonald said after Lockport hit the winning free throws with four-10ths of a second to play. "We need to come out stronger in the beginning. It shouldn't have come to that."

It left the Saxons with their third overtime loss of the season. It was also was eerily reminiscent of last year's Pontiac Holiday tournament opener when Lockport got a tying 3-point play off a rebound just before the regulation buzzer and went on to win in overtime.

"I was disappointed with how our kids played for long stretches of the game," said Schaumburg coach Matt Walsh, "but I can't be more proud of how we came back. Our kids didn't quit. They never do."

One of the catalysts of the rally from an 11-point deficit in the final 1:36 of regulation was 6-5 sophomore Jimmy Lundquist. He scored 9 of his 14 points in the final 5:36.

"Jimmy is very skilled, has a passion for the game and is intelligent," Walsh said. "He's still learning how to play and play hard on every possession."

It's something that will be crucial tonight in a visit to MSL West leader Fremd (13-6, 5-1). The Saxons have won the last two meetings last year's regional semifinal stunner and 48-42 on Dec. 9 when McDonald held MSL scoring leader Zach Monaghan (22.6 ppg) to a season-low 13 points.

"We still haven't hit our potential yet, in my opinion," said Schaumburg junior Christian Spandiary after last Friday's win over Hoffman Estates. "We still have a lot more games we can win. Our chemistry is definitely good enough."

Lockport coach Lawrence Thompson liked what he saw of the Saxons.

"They're a better team than their record indicates," Thompson said. "They have a nice concept, they shoot the ball well and they play hard. To finish up the way they did shows the character in their program."

Barrington (14-6, 4-2), the MSL's hottest team with straight wins and eight in its last nine games, goes to Palatine (7-12, 2-4) tonight. The Broncos won the first meeting 49-37 on Dec. 9.

Fighting through tough times: Wheeling (4-14, 0-6) and Elk Grove (4-15, 1-5) are still looking for their first wins of 2011.

Elk Grove has lost eight in a row going into tonight's visit from Prospect. But it hasn't made things easy in its last three East losses to Meadows, Hersey and BG.

"We're playing pretty good competition right now and we're playing some decent basketball," said Elk Grove coach Anthony Furman. "If we maintain that it will show as the season continues. We're playing good basketball but we're playing good teams, too."

Wheeling takes a nine-game losing streak to Hersey, which escaped 73-71 in double overtime in the first meeting. Freshman Jeremy Stephani just returned from injury and coach John Clancy was encouraged by how his team competed in Tuesday's 54-50 loss at Glenbrook South.

"The kids keep working at it and I think we'll catch a break here soon," Clancy said. "They boys are keeping a positive attitude."

Two seasons in one game: Hoffman Estates coach Bill Wandro saw last Friday's 50-41 loss at Schaumburg as a microcosm of its season.

"Before Christmas we looked like the first quarter," Wandro said of falling behind 16-3. "After Christmas, we've looked like the last three quarters.

"A lot of times you get down early and quit and it's over and we didn't do that."

The Hawks (4-13, 0-6) were aided by the return of senior guard Matt Pahl from a foot injury. Pahl scored 8 points after missing 10 games.

"It was nice to see him back in the lineup," Wandro said of the Hawks' second-leading scorer behind junior Austin Terry. "Eric (6-5 junior Saubert), if he can stay out of foul trouble, he's a good post presence.

"I really like what (Alex) Bonds does defensively and he's very quick to the basket on offense. When all the guys play their part it looks pretty good."

Hoffman is at home tonight against Conant (11-6, 3-3), which is looking to end a three-game overall and West losing streak.

On Saturday, the Hawks host Huntley and coach Marty Manning, who was the all-area point guard on Wandro's first Elite Eight team in 1996.