BOYS BASKETBALL
Clippers falter in overtime; Baldwins lifts St. Frances to win
The Patterson boys basketball team looked overmatched at times against Chicago power Morgan Park on Saturday, but the No. 4 Clippers still were able to will their way to an advantage and seemingly take hold of the game midway through the fourth quarter.
And then it all unraveled.
A seven-point lead didn’t hold and instead of celebrating a quality win against a two-time defending Class 3A Illinois state champion, the Clippers were forced into overtime and the Mustangs had their way.
Morgan Park, behind a 30-point performance from junior guard Adam Miller, scored the first five points in the extra time and made its free throws in the final minute to close out an 88-77 win over Patterson at the Charm City vs. Windy City Showcase at St. Frances.
Patterson, which was coming off a come-from-behind overtime win against No. 3 Poly on Tuesday, couldn’t find the same answers on Saturday despite a 30-point performance from senior guard Gerard Mungo.
Costly turnovers, poor shot selection and allowing the bigger Mustangs key offensive rebounds proved the difference.
“I think we went up by 7 and I told them they are the type of team that goes back and forth and I think we just quit. We just stopped playing our type of basketball and they made a run and we didn’t respond to it very well,” Patterson coach Harry Martin said.
The Clippers (11-3) were regularly outrebounded against the Mustangs (18-3) and often settled for outside shots instead of driving to the basket. Despite all that, they were able to stay close throughout. Next came a timely stretch of quality basketball that had the Clippers primed to claim a win.
The Clippers attacked the basket, clamped down on defense and protected the defensive glass in going on an 8-0 run – a gravity-defying reverse layup from Mungo the highlight – to claim a 65-58 lead with 3:50 to play.
After getting another stop – the Clippers fortunes suddenly changed. A turnover in the backcourt turned into a 3-point make from Morgam Park’s Kyel Grover. Two free throws and a jumper from Miller tied the game with 1:29 to play. After Price (19 points) hit a pull-up jumper at the free throw line to give the Clippers the lead back with 1:57 to play, two more jumpers from Miller followed before Jalen Willis responded for the Clippers to sen the game into overtime tied at 69.
With Baldwin on the bench with four fouls, the visiting Wolverines rallied to tie with 2:30 to play. But Baldwin returned to take charge. He also had four assists and four steals, going 10-for-10 from the free throw line with many of the makes coming in the closing minutes.
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