Klimek, Monaghan give Fremd 20-20 vision

Fremd's boys basketball program can finally see a 20-win season for the first time since 1998 thanks to the 20-20 scoring vision of senior Chris Klimek and junior Zach Monaghan.

Klimek scored a career-high 29 points and Monaghan just missed his career-best with 27 as visiting Fremd (20-1) pulled away in the final eight minutes to a 73-58 nonconference victory Saturday night over Leyden (10-11) at Farina Field House in Franklin Park.

"We're breaking all the records," Klimek said with a laugh one night after Fremd wrapped up its first outright Mid-Suburban League division title in 12 years.

The 6-foot-4 Klimek had 16 first-half points, was 11-for-17 from the field and had 8 rebounds as the Vikings have sandwiched 10-game winning streaks around their only loss to Neuqua Valley. He also slowed Leyden 18-point averager Michael Woolf to 5 of his 19 points in the second half.

Monaghan also had 7 assists and hit five 3-pointers. His off-balance 25-footer with Leyden's Javi Lazcano draped on him at the third-quarter buzzer was the first of four rapid-fire 3s in a span of 2:33 to push Fremd's lead from 40-37 to 54-41.

"That really jump-started them and Javi guarded him pretty well," said Leyden coach Bill Heisler.

"(Friday) night I missed about seven layups and I was looking to get back on track," said Monaghan, who missed six straight behind the arc before his big 3 spree. "Hitting that shot gave me a confidence boost."

Fremd raced to a 15-3 lead after 3:46 but Woolf and Brandon Stinson (20 points, 7 rebounds) kept Leyden in close range until Monaghan got hot from long range.

"I was happy our kids fought for 32 minutes," Heisler said. "I think they're very good and it was nice to see our kids compete."

Fremd's Quinn Williams had all 7 of his points and 4 assists in the fourth after being hampered by foul trouble the first 24 minutes.

"I thought we came out with a good attitude to start the game but we didn't maintain it through the first half," said Fremd coach Bob Widlowski. "We played well defensively for the first five minutes and then we did some uncharacteristic things defensively."