SPORT

Hawks stun Eagles

Hendricken wins overtime thriller

Posted 2/18/21

By ALEX SPONSELLER Trailing by two points with one second on the clock, the Bishop Hendricken basketball team needed the perfect play on the inbound to force overtime against Barrington . and got it. The host Eagles were shooting lights out all game and

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SPORT

Hawks stun Eagles

Hendricken wins overtime thriller

Posted

By ALEX SPONSELLER Trailing by two points with one second on the clock, the Bishop Hendricken basketball team needed the perfect play on the inbound to force overtime against Barrington … and got it.

The host Eagles were shooting lights out all game and forced the Hawks to take one last shot in hopes of forcing the extra period. Hendricken coach Jamal Gomes called a timeout and drew up a play that would have David Lynch inbound beneath the hoop to center Cam Hughes who would tip it in.

Sure enough, not only did the play work, force overtime and set up a Hendricken win, but the Hawks made it look as though they had practiced it hundreds of times. In fact, they had not practiced it even once.

“We ran a play that we have never run before. David made a great pass, Cam finished, it was a great moment for us,” said Justin Perez, who led Hendricken with 27 points, 18 of which coming in the second half. “We were fueled by Cam's play and used that momentum all throughout the overtime period. This win is big, it shows us that come playoff time, even if our shots aren’t going in, we can fight and play with anyone.”

“We know the deal. I knew that David would throw a good pass and we all have faith in (Gomes) to draw up the right play at the end of the game,” said Hughes. “I can’t tell you how many hours that we played together during quarantine and in practice. That connection is there and he threw the perfect pass and I was able to put my hands up and tip it. It’s just basketball.”

Hughes added: “That’s the type of play that you do in the backyard just messing around. I always practice tipping it into the basket like that, but it was one of those plays that you have to just go for and hope that it happens. That’s why you practice, I was pretty confident, you almost need to have a little bit of cockiness to believe that you will make the play.”

The Hawks would roll and outpace Barrington 14-4 in overtime to pick up the 72-62 win. Hughes finished the game with 13 points while Eze Wali added 10.

“We showed our will power. We showed that we were strong, we would fight and not just take it,” said Perez, who said his big second half was thanks to his team spreading the floor. “We were working it inside (in the second half) which opened up the rest of the floor. My teammates started getting me the ball and I was able to make the plays with my confidence.”

Moving forward, Hughes believes that the team’s confidence within each player will be key for the Hawks to make a run in Division I.

“It showed a lot about the culture of our team,” said Hughes. “Hitting our shots is usually how we win but they weren’t going in tonight, (Barrington) was having a great night shooting, but we just knew that we had to keep battling, have faith in each other and go from there.”

Hawks, basketball, sports

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