Sports

Strong Second Half Fuels Pirates Over Prospect

The Palatine basketball team trailed the entire first half, but outscored the Knights by 17 in the second half to win its second Mid-Suburban win in as many nights.

Sophomore Josh Baldus scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds in the first half, junior John Millin put up 16 points in the second half, and the Palatine defense held Prospect guard Mike Latulip in check as Eric Millstone's Pirates beat the Knights, 65-55, Saturday night in Prospect Heights.

"Coach told us to play our hearts out, and we did," senior guard Peter Bony said.

Palatine entered the fourth quarter with a five-point lead. It was cut to three points a few times early in the fourth, but the Pirates maintained a two-possession lead throughout the final three minutes.

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"With a young team, that's what was most rewarding, the way we closed it out," Millstone said.

It was the second night of a back-to-back for Palatine. They hosted and beat Hoffman Estates, 55-40, in Palatine Friday night. The Pirates are now 2-0 against their first two Mid-Suburban opponents.

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After not taking a single shot in the first half, Millin was clutch in the second half. He hit a three-pointer as time expired in the third quarter to put the Pirates up 47-42.

With just under two minutes left in the game, the forward snaked through a double team, hit a layup and was fouled. His converted three-point play put Palatine up 10 late.

It was all about the team, though, after the game.

"This was pretty huge," Millin said of the win. After everyone had the Pirates as underdogs against the Knights, he said, bearing down in the fourth quarter was a great step for the team. "To come out and act mature was huge for us."

Baldus kept Palatine in the game in the first half. Prospect lead the entire first 16 minutes, though never by more than eight points. Baldus got points off offensive rebounds, from the free-throw line, and from behind the three-point line.

"Our sophomore finally arrived tonight," Millstone said.

Baldus scored two points in the second half to finish with 14. Bony chipped in 10 points.

Prospect junior Latulip scored 12 points to lead the Knight. Senior Danny O'Brien scored 11 and senior Grant DePalma notched seven.

Latulip, who put up 27 points with four three-pointers in a Nov. 26 overtime loss to St. Patrick, was the focus for Palatine.

"We just tried to throw a couple of different defenders at him and not let him get good looks," Millstone said.

All week in practice, Millin said, the theme was "close in" on Latulip.

"That was a reward win," Millstone said. "We played together. We beat a good team."

Next up for Palatine is another road game at Barrington on Thursday. They come home Saturday to take on Glenbrook South.


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