Big win for Harper College

With a just a week left to play in the regular season, the Harper College men’s basketball is looking at both the present and the future.

The Hawks could be seeded as high as fourth in the NJCAA Division III, Region IV tournament.

For that to happen, however, Harper (8-18 overall, 3-8 N4C) is in a must-win situation in its final four games. Wednesday night’s 78-74 win over Wilbur Wright College (10-17, 4-6) in Palatine will go a long way toward getting that desired No. 4 seed.

“This wasn’t supposed to be a 5-6 point game,” Hawks coach Tony Amarino said. We just do some knucklehead things.”

The two teams split the season series with each team winning on its home floor. The win secures the Hawks’ first two-game home winning streak of the season.

“If we stay focused, I think we can beat people by double figures the way we are playing,” said Amarino.

To the Amarino’s point, the Rams twice cut the Harper lead to three in the first half. The Hawks would lose concentration again in the game’s final stages.

“It’s frustrating (watching the team lose double-digit leads)” Amarino admitted.

The Hawks shot 49 percent from the field for the game.

“We had a lot of kids play well,” Amarino explained. It was evident in the play of three players. Connor Miklasz (Hersey) scored a career-high 22. John Lorenz (Elk Grove) added 11 and Jordan Mack scored 15.

“I knew I was going to get some opportunities,” Miklasz said.

“We couldn’t find the (post players) at first,” Lorenz said, of the Hawks’ 17 3-point attempts.

The Hawks have another important game Saturday when they travel to Rock Valley College at 3 p.m. It’s another team ahead of them in the seeding process.

Coaches normally like to stay in the moment and give the usual “one game at a time” line. That would not suit Amarino given how well his team is playing, expecially on its home court.

Amarino admitted he is looking forward to the regional tournament.