Fenwick 67
Hales 62
Considering Fenwick was coming off a game in which it scored 16 points through three quarters against Morton, you’re excused if you didn’t give the Friars a chance last Tuesday against Hales Franciscan, the Catholic League powerhouse and defending Class A champion.
But that just goes to show why the teams play the games and not the odds makers.
“I’ve coached this game long enough not to be surprised by anything, to know that certain times a team just plays poorly,” Fenwick coach John Quinn said after his team knocked off the Spartans in a 67-62 upset. “We had a case last week where we were probably looking past a St. Francis de Sales team and they caught us, and I think we caught Hales looking past us.”
Tim Shaw scored nine of his team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Friars closed the game on a 15-6 run. Nick Harvalis (10 points) made 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute to preserve the victory, and the Friars shot 9-of-12 from the charity stripe on the night?#34;a figure which pleased Quinn.
“This was the first close game that we won, and I think it was because we made our free throws. Getting up near 75 percent is where we want to be,” Quinn said. “Granted, the three we missed were all in the last minute, but Nick hit some big ones for us.”
Harvalis put Fenwick up 64-60 with two free throws with 59 seconds left, and after a Hales basket he split a pair from the line with six seconds remaining to make it 65-62.
Hales advanced the ball to halfcourt and called a timeout, but their inbounder stepped on the sideline as he passed the ball in, giving possession back to the Friars. Harvalis made two more charity tosses to account for the final score.
Fenwick (4-4, 3-1) led 19-13 after one, the 19 points eclipsing its total through three quarters in the Friars’ loss to Morton on Dec. 10. Xavier Humphrey, starting because Luke Burchett was in the hospital with pneumonia, scored 10 of his 15 points in the quarter. But Hales’ two blue-chip recruits, Jerome Randle (California) and Javelle McGee (Nevada), combined for 14 of the Spartans’ 16 second-quarter points and Fenwick trailed 29-28 at halftime.
The Friars were down by as many as eight in the third quarter, but a three by Shaw with 3:35 left in the fourth created a 57-56 lead?#34;Fenwick’s first since 32-31?#34;they would not relinquish.
Up against Seton Academy in South Holland on Friday night, Fenwick won 62-50 behind Peter Flowers’ 17 points and 16 rebounds. The Friars began the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run to build an 18-point lead. Tim Shaw chipped in 12 points.
After last night’s game against Pennsylvania’s Cathedral High (after deadline), the Friars were slated to enjoy a full week off before beginning the Proviso West Holiday tournament against highly-rated Proviso East on Tuesday.