The #22 ranked DePaul Prep Rams (25-5) defeated the #18 ranked Michele Clark Eagles (23-5) 64-48 to win the IHSA 2A North Lawndale Sectional Championship on Friday evening. The Rams advance to play Leo on Monday night in Joliet.
A couple weeks ago, I saw Sean Connor’s Antoich Sequoits play Clark. The swamp creatures gave the Eagles a game for three and a half quarters but could not hang in the end. Eagles just had too much inside and outside scoring. Even so, and despite the rankings, I thought the Rams had the edge.
I asked a North Lawndale Prep basketball coach what he thought.
“DePaul,” he said.
He told me that a key Clark player, Kahari Byas, was injured and would not play. He came in for a minute or so late in the third quarter. He quickly gave up a foul as he grabbed Alex Gutierez because of his lack of mobility. He came right out.
I never doubted for a moment that the Rams would win. Not even when the Rams down 8-0 with about four minutes gone in the first quarter. There was no panic. Somethings one has to turn the key a few time before the engine starts.
A few minutes later, DePaul’s Dylan Arnett scored on a dunk and followed up with an “and one” free throw. DePaul’s senior guard Trevon Thomas followed with a couple midrange buckets. Just that fast, the Rams were back in it.
In the second quarter, the Rams gradually overwhelmed the Eagles in all phases. The Eagles were not playing poorly. In fact, their defense was excellent. Their pressure on the Rams ball handlers produced many turnovers. But the Eagles couldn’t convert the turnovers into points.
In the third, the Rams just keep grinding down the Eagles; slowly turning the screws, outscoring Clark 16 to 8. The Eagles just could not get anything going offensively.
The Rams struggled handling the ball under the relentless press even turning the ball over on a five-second call. Tom Klienschmidt’s skillful use of times out keep the Rams for turning over the ball a couple other times.
Mid-way through the 4th quarter, the game just kind of came apart. The official scorer lost track of times out causing a long delay. Fouls and turnovers slowed the game to a crawl.
Down sixteen points late, the Eagles started fouling to stop the clock and get the ball back. This rarely works against a Tom Kleinschmidt team. Since the Rams nearly lost a game early in the season due to poor free throw shooting, they have been money at the line. Six free throws under four minutes sealed DePaul’s 64-48 sectional championship.
A sectional championship means a super-sectional game. Well, usually.
After the Rams last sectional championship in 2019, there was no super-sectional game. The Rams won the super by forfeit after a fight in the sectional championship game between Farragut and North Lawndale disqualified both teams. The Rams advanced to the state finals directly from the Grayslake Central Sectional championship.
This time the Rams will face #13 ranked and Chicago Catholic League Champion Leo High School (25-4-, 13-1). Leo’s only Catholic League defeat was to DePaul Prep in the last game of league play and at Leo. Unfortunately, I couldn’t be there that night.
Someone who was there told me that the Rams controlled the game start to finish. Doesn’t mean it will happen again on Monday. I haven’t seen Leo this year. But I know they are experienced and very good. They probably feel like they are on an historic mission.
This should be quite a game.
