Late rally falls short for Vernon Hills boys basketball team
By Bryan Bonato Contributor January 13, 2012 10:56PM
Vernon Hills forward Jarrett Wood rebounds and goes back up with the ball during Friday's game against Lakes. | Morgan Glier~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 19, 2012 2:00AM
Justin Bergeron scored 14 of his game-high 23 points in the first half, and visiting Lakes withstood a late Vernon Hills rally to post a 73-66 victory in a battle of North Suburban Conference Prairie Division contenders on Friday.
Lakes (11-6 overall, 5-1 conference) stands alone in second place, and still has a game left with league-leading North Chicago. Vernon Hills (9-7 overall) fell to 4-2 in league play.
Lakes outscored Vernon Hills 20-11 in the third quarter to grab a 50-38 lead, and still led 65-54 with 2:36 to play. Then, after the Cougars pulled within 66-63 with 1:27 left, Lakes made enough free throws (10-for-18 in the fourth quarter) to secure the win.
Justin Schneider, Lake’s 6-foot-8 center, tallied 19 points, including 13 after intermission.
Darren Hoveydai scored 22 points for Vernon Hills, M.J. Crowley added a dozen and Stephen Curry had nine.
Vernon Hills hit eight three-point shots, while Lakes made three.
“Any win you can get on the road in the conference is a good win,” said second-year Lakes coach Chris Snyder. “It keeps us in that spot behind North Chicago. “While, obviously, we have some games before we play them again, we’re still in the mix.”
Lakes lost in double-overtime to North Chicago, in December, in a contest the Eagles almost won on two different occasions.
Vernon Hills coach Matt McCarty said Lakes had the better of his team on Friday.
“Give Lakes credit,” he said. “They played extremely hard. They were all over the offensive glass. I think our guys would tell you they didn’t play their best. Lakes played harder than us and certainly deserved to win.”
Vernon Hills returns to action against Round Lake at home on Saturday.
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