Zion-Benton pays back Libertyville in NSC

Today is Valentine's Day, but Zion-Benton got plenty of Love on Friday night.

Sometimes the forgotten man on a basketball team that boasts two Division I players in guard Lenzelle Smith (Ohio State) and center Markus Yarbrough (Tennessee State) and potentially a third in point guard Ronald Steward, Quintrell Love played lovely in helping the Zee-Bees earn a payback victory.

The 6-foot senior forward scored a game-high 21 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and recorded a hefty 8 steals to lead Zion-Benton to a 58-43 win over host Libertyville.

While Zion-Benton (20-6, 7-3) avenged a 51-50 upset loss on Jan. 9, the Zee-Bees and every other team in North Suburban Lake saw their division championship hopes dashed, as Lake Forest clinched the title with a 60-59 win in double overtime over Lake Zurich.

"I really wanted to beat (Libertyville) because that was a real bad upset at our house last time," Love said. "I figured defense would win the game."

While the athletic Love can score and even dunk, despite missing a chance late in the first half and settling for a layup, which drew a sheepish smile from him, his forte is defense.

"He is an outstanding defensive player," Zee-Bees coach Don Kloth said. "He played a major role in tonight's outcome."

Zion-Benton's defense helped turn the momentum of the game in final two minutes of the first half.

A Yarbrough block and Love's fourth steal of the game - which led to his layup with 12 seconds left - helped the Zee-Bees close the half with a 7-0 run.

That put them up 26-17, after Jeremy Letchford's bank shot drew Libertyville (8-14, 4-8) within 19-17 with 2:12 left.

"I was very pleased with our defense in the first half, with the exception of I think they might have gotten three or four offensive-rebound putbacks," Kloth said.

"I just thought, offensively, we weren't aggressive enough in the first half."

Zion-Benton scored the first 11 points of the second half, before a drive by Julian Hill finally stopped the bleeding for the Wildcats.

The Zee-Bees eventually increased their lead to 21 late in the third quarter before the home team mounted a serious rally.

Libertyville got within 50-43 with 1:53 to go in the fourth on a free throw by Letchford, who led the Wildcats with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but the Zee-Bees scored the game's final 8 points.

"I didn't think we were playing that poorly (in the third quarter)," Libertyville coach Scott Bogumil said. "We just weren't finishing. We had some good looks and the ball just wasn't going down."

Love's night included a spectacular sequence late in the third.

He went airborne in hustling for an offensive rebound out of bounds, saved the ball to a teammate near half-court, got the ball back and drained a 3-pointer from the corner.

Owen Worthington added 10 points and 11 rebounds for Zion-Benton.

Yarbrough had 10 points and 6 boards, and Smith finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. The junior also helped hold shooter John Colao (two 3s) to 7 points.

"He had a dynamite game against us the first time, off the bench," Kloth said of Colao.

"I thought Lenzelle did a really good job of contesting his shot and working on him. I think Lenzelle is a much better defensive player than people think."