Overcoming adversity part of reaching MSL title game

Champions are hardly immune to adversity.

Their ability to handle the inevitable challenges and difficulties is what makes them successful. That's how Rolling Meadows and Schaumburg emerged as the Mid-Suburban League's boys basketball outright division champions this season.

And now they challenge each other in the MSL's 42nd annual title-game showcase when East champion Meadows (16-9) visits West champion Schaumburg (20-5) at 7:30 p.m. today.

For Meadows, the reward is the end of a 14-year drought between title-game trips and a chance to win its fourth crown and first since 1991.

“Now we get a chance to play in it,” said fourth-year starting point guard and Meadows career assist leader Brian Nelms, “and especially for the seniors going out, it will be a blast for us.”

Schaumburg has been in big games the last two years with sectional final runs. But this is its first title game appearance since 2009 and a shot to take its sixth crown and first since 2003.

“We just have to keep doing what we do and keep executing and playing the way we are right now,” said Schaumburg senior guard Joey Faleni.

The Saxons have won six in a row and their only loss in their last 12 games, 53-40 to York, came when senior scoring leader Christian Spandiary (14.5 ppg, 4.8 rebounds per game, 30 3-pointers) was injured.

But now they're dealing with the indefinite loss of junior point guard and second-year starter Kyle Bolger (10 ppg, 2.7 assists per game) to a shoulder injury and the loss of backup point guard Thomas Byrne for the season with a torn MCL in his knee and a partially torn ACL.

Schaumburg coach Matt Walsh is optimistic Bolger will return in the postseason but said he was out for tonight.

Faleni handled the bulk of the ballhandling and spearheaded the Saxons' stingy man-to-man defense allowing 45.5 points a game in Friday's 43-29 win at Conant.

Cole Reyes moved into the other starting guard slot and reserves Justin Hill, Bobby Greene, Carlos Sarasti and Kevin Curnow handled additional minutes just fine along with starters Jimmy Lundquist (9.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 31 3s) and Mike Mallett (7.4 ppg).

“It doesn't surprise us because we know the other people coming in are really good players,” Spandiary said. “They give us good looks in practice so it doesn't surprise me they played like that.”

Meadows recovered from an 0-3 start to win 12 of 14 games even though it didn't play at home until Jan. 21 with its floor being replaced.

But the Mustangs were in danger of coming in with five losses in their last eight games when they trailed Leyden by 9 points with 2:39 left in regulation Saturday. They rallied for a 62-56 overtime win.

“We stuck together and played together,” said Meadows senior forward Michael Rose, who is averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds and has drawn 27 charging fouls.

Rose and junior Mike Dolan have been key parts of Meadows' matchup zone that produced one of its better defensive efforts in the last month Saturday. Nelms (15 ppg, 6 apg) and seniors Tyler Gaedele (15 ppg, 77 3s) and Eric Lowe have 10 varsity seasons of experience in the backcourt.

“They have an excellent point guard,” Walsh said. “They have some kids who can really shoot the ball, especially Gaedele. They're really athletic, their kids really play hard and rebound the ball well and they play well together.”

And Meadows knows it won't be easy to follow the lead of its girls team which won the MSL title.

“Both teams are playing really well this year,” said Meadows coach Kevin Katovich of the Saxons.

“They look good and they're tough as always,” Nelms said. “They're very well-coached and well-disciplined and a great defensive team.”

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Rolling Meadows (16-9) vs. Schaumburg (20-5)

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Schaumburg High School

Probable starters

ROLLING MEADOWS SCHAUMBURG

Coach: Kevin Katovich (10th year, 127-145) Coach: Matt Walsh (third year, 55-29)

Name Ht. Yr. Avg. Pos. Name Ht. Yr. Avg.

Brian Nelms 5-10 Sr. 15.0 G Joey Faleni 6-0 Sr. 4.3

Eric Lowe 5-10 Sr. 4.0 G Cole Reyes 6-0 Jr. 1.5

Tyler Gaedele 6-2 Sr. 15.0 F Christian Spandiary 6-3 Sr. 14.5

Mike Dolan 6-2 Jr. 7.0 F Michael Mallett 6-2 Sr. 7.4

Michael Rose 6-3 Sr. 10.0 F Jimmy Lundquist 6-5 Jr. 9.6

Reserve strength: Meadows senior guard Mike Olson (5.5 ppg) also has starting experience and is dangerous from long range (26 3s). Senior guard Charlie Lynk has missed the last four games with mono but there is plenty of depth with seniors John Ott and Mike Weingart and junior Austin Reed. Juniors Brian Sabal and Adam Pavlakis help inside as junior Jack Milas got his cast off a broken hand Tuesday after missing seven games. Schaumburg had to go deeper with two-year starting G Kyle Bolger (10.3 ppg) suffering a right shoulder injury nearly two weeks ago that will keep him out of tonight's game and sidelined him for Friday's win at Conant. Senior backup G Thomas Byrne is also out for the season with a torn MCL and partially torn ACL in his knee but senior G Justin Hill and juniors Bobby Greene, Kevin Curnow and Carlos Sarasti made the most of more extended minutes.

How they got here: Rolling Meadows won its first six MSL East games to take control of the division race and go 8-2, finishing a game ahead of four-time defending division champion Prospect and Hersey. The Mustangs also overcame an 0-3 overall start to win 12 of their next 14 games despite not playing on their refurbished home floor until Jan. 21. Schaumburg lost 45-44 at the buzzer to Barrington in December but recovered to finish 9-1 in the division and win it by two games over the Broncos. The Saxons' only loss in their last 12 games was 53-40 to red-hot York (20-8) on Jan. 21 when Spandiary didn't play with a shoulder injury.

Last time they met: Schaumburg won their MSL crossover last season 63-33 as Spandiary scored 16 points, Bolger had 9 and Lundquist had 5. Nelms led the Mustangs with 10 points and Gaedele had 4 points in the last game where he didn't make a 3-pointer. He's connected from long distance in his last 38 games.

Title history: Schaumburg is 5-4 in title games with losses in its last two appearances — 61-57 in OT to Prospect in 2009 and 62-55 to Hersey in 2006. Its last win was 74-70 at Buffalo Grove in 2003. Rolling Meadows is 3-2 in title games with a 60-51 loss to Fremd in its last appearance in 1998. The Mustangs won three straight title games (1989-91) and so did the Saxons (1999-2001). The only other teams to accomplish the feat were BG (1976-78) and Prospect (1984-86). The West has a 9-4 advantage on the East and the North and South finished even at 14-14.

Halftime honors: The all-conference teams and players and coaches of the year will be recognized at halftime.