Bartlett outlasts Brother Rice in 3 OTs
Jim Wolfsmith strode along the sideline, smiling slightly and patting his heart.
He had good reason. His Bartlett boys basketball team was giving him a heart-stopping performance Tuesday in the second round of the Wheaton Academy Thanksgiving Tournament.
Moments later, his charges handed him a hard-fought 70-68 triple-overtime victory over undersized but speedy - and pesky - Brother Rice, led by first-year coach Bobby Frasor.
"It's a big game early in the season to help you understand the idea of overcoming adversity," Wolfsmith said. "Brett (Awalt) was on the bench with five fouls, guys are tired and you've still got to find a way to hit free throws and make shots and make plays. We found a way. So hopefully we'll keep that up and do it in regulation so the coach doesn't have to worry about his heart."
The Hawks improved to 2-0 on the young season, and were led by seniors Tyler Pauletti (24 points in all 44 minutes of action) and Robby Jimenez (22 points). But it was another senior, Jason Hasenberg, who sealed the victory by making all 4 of his free throws in the final 3:40 of the third overtime, including a pair with 32.6 seconds left that gave Bartlett a 4-point lead … and breathing room.
Funny thing, too. Hasenberg had been practicing his free throws during the school day Tuesday with mixed results.
Guess he was saving those for when they really mattered.
"I started out at the beginning of the day shooting free throws, and it wasn't falling, but you've got keep with it," said Hasenberg, who led the Hawks with 6 rebounds. "I kept shooting and I kept shooting. I come here, I missed the first two, and I kept pushing through. My mindset is I'm looking at the rim, and focus and I'm going to get this job done."
To say the Hawks survived Tuesday may be an understatement, considering Brother Rice's aerial assault. The Crusaders made 12 3-point baskets, and none bigger than the trifecta junior Mike Shepski made in the final 1:22 of the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.
A pair of 3-pointers by Brendan Coghlan and John Ryan midway through the first overtime helped stake the Crusaders to a 61-57 lead. But Bartlett bounced back with layups in the final 1:08 by Hasenberg and Pauletti to send the game into a second overtime.
After trading punches during that second extra period, Bartlett finally wrestled control of the game by going 5-for-8 from the free throw line - and a 5-0 run - between the 3:40 and 32.6-second marks, including all 4 of Hasenberg's freebies.
But Shepski loomed large and nearly sent the game to a fourth OT. He just missed a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left that Jimenez rebounded and was immediately fouled by Brother Rice's Luke Klein. Shepski also sank a jumper from the left corner with 23.3 seconds left that set the final score. Bartlett managed to run out the clock, and escape with a hard-fought victory.
"We weathered their speed real well, and I think we were just able to outplay them in a couple of key moments," Wolfsmith said. "They had the ball in a couple of key moments and there were some turnovers. We got some inside play and got some baskets with fouls, which allowed us to overcome some good shooting by their kids."
Bartlett shot 48 percent from the field (24-for-50), as did Brother Rice (23-for-48). The Crusaders also shot 37 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (12-for-32), and were led by Shepski with 20 points. He and Ryan each had 4 3-pointers.
Jimenez had 4 3-pointers for Bartlett, including a pair in the second quarter that gave the Hawks a 38-35 halftime lead.
"We stood together, my guys, and we played hard and we came through with the win, and that's all that matters," Hasenberg said. "It's a huge win. There's a lot of momentum at the beginning of the season."