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Stevenson wins to create logjam at the top of NSC Lake
Lincolnshire Friday, 1/18/13 Stevenson's Justin Berkson (23) drives past Zion Benton's Gabriel Ramirez (24) during the second quarter of Friday evening's game. | Brian O'Mahoney~for Sun-Times Media
BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
North Suburban Prairie
North Chicago 81, Grant 50
Lakes 74, Wauconda 57
Vernon Hills 66, Round Lake 38
North Suburban Lake
Stevenson 66, Zion-Benton 56
East Suburban Catholic
Carmel 42, Joliet Catholic 20 — The Corsairs have won back-to-back games
Notre Dame 54, St. Patrick 51
Central Suburban North
Niles North 62, Glenbrook North 57
Highland Park 46, Maine East 39 — Brandon Krawitz had a dozen points to lead the Giants who are 4-2 in the division.
Article Extras
Updated: January 22, 2013 10:37AM
LINCOLNSHIRE — It’s not just crowded at the top of the North Suburban Conference Lake Division boys basketball standings.
It’s overcrowded.
Stevenson’s 66-56 victory over Zion-Benton on Friday meant that four of the division’s seven teams (Lake Forest, Mundelein, Z-B and Stevenson) all have two league losses. Friday’s win for Stevenson was fashioned by a fast start and dogged determination when Zion battled back.
And, of course, it didn’t hurt that Z-B star Milik Yarbrough fouled out on an charging call with 2:19 to play.
Yarbrough finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, and his departure came with Stevenson ahead 58-51.
His fifth foul was the first of four Z-B fouls (three personal, one technical) in a three-second span that ended Stevenson ahead 62-51.
Sophomore sensation Jalen Brunson led the winners with 26 points. He was 12-of-15 from the foul line and grabbed eight rebounds.
Fellow sophomore Connor Cashaw added 19 points and 11 rebounds.
They combined for 16 of Stevenson’s 22 fourth-quarter points.
“It was a really important game. They were our first loss. To come back and beat us on our home court feels really good,” Brunson said. “Coach (Pat) Ambrose really pushed us this week. He really wanted this one, and that got us fired up.”
The game started out as though Stevenson would win in a romp.
After five minutes of play, the Patriots had 12 points and Zion-Benton had yet to scratch. Yet, by the time the first frame concluded, the Zee-Bees had battled back to a respectable 14-9.
Zion actually took the lead at 20-17 early in the second quarter, but by intermission, Stevenson was back on top 32-30 in a foul-marred half that featured 23 personal fouls.
For the game, there were 47 total fouls.
The teams combined for 58 free throws, with Stevenson 22-for-34 and Zion 19-of-24.
“It’s a long road,” said Ambrose of the NSC Lake race. “We knew if we fell behind two games and two games to the division leader, that it would be really tough for us, so this was a big game.”
On the other side, Zion-Benton coach Don Kloth said this about the game.
Zion is now 15-4 overall and 5-2 in the division. Stevenson is 13-4 and also 5-2.
Pick up your local Pioneer Press newspaper on Thursday to read more about the Stevenson boys basketball team.
