Freeman scores 35 to lift Dolphins
YOUNG 74, FENWICK 73
In many ways, high school basketball is the very heartbeat of the city. That love of the game has led to basketball courts being stuffed into some strange places. A few years ago, event organizers put a court in a mega- church on the South Side. Half- courts have been placed in shoe stores and at the Chicago Theatre for various events.
On Sunday, a shoe company oneupped them all, holding a threegame shootout in the grand ballroom at Navy Pier.
There were atmospheric light shows, smoke machines and flashy introduction videos for all the teams.
“This is like playing in a Vegas strip club,” Fenwick coach Rick Malnati said. “This is whacked out. I love it, it’s cool and the kids loved it. Our Thanksgiving tournament was like dinner, and this was dessert. It was a memory- type game.”
Fenwick will have nightmares about Young’s Javon Freeman. The senior played a terrific all- around game. He scored 35 points and was amajor factor on defense. Freeman scored 11 in the fourth quarter to help the Dolphins hold on for a 7473 victory against the Friars.
Freeman has led the Dolphins to six wins this week. Young knocked off Larkin and Rockford Jefferson in Rockford.
“The goal this year is to win Mr. Basketball, Player of the Year,” Freeman said. “If I continue to play like I’m doing, that can happen.”
Freeman acknowledged that it took awhile to get comfortable in the showy atmosphere.
“It was real fun; at first, I had to get my jitterbugs out,” Freeman said. “That was the first quarter. Then I knew my team needed me, so I had to play through it.”
The undersized Dolphins gave Fenwick ( 3- 2) fits with their press.
‘‘ We are going to continue to press, continue to wreak havoc, and that’s the way we will neutralize teams that are bigger than us,” Young coach Tyrone Slaughter said.
The Dolphins missed 10 free throws in the fourth quarter.
“Young opened the door by missing a lot of free throws, and we gave it right back to them by throwing the ball all over the gym,” Malnati said.
Freeman was at the line with a chance to seal the victory with two seconds left. He missed both free throws but tipped the rebound to a teammate as time expired.
“We like to make games interesting,” Slaughter joked. “For us, there was no sense in trying to win by more than one. We wanted the game to be exciting.”
Fenwick sophomore DJ Steward has picked up right where he left off after last season’s phenomenal showing at the state tournament in Peoria.
Steward was all over the court, making three- pointers and midrange jumpers and getting to the basket. He scored 31 points.
Mike O’Laughlin and Billy Bruce each scored eight for the Friars, and both fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Myles Baker scored 13 for the Young, and Xavier Castaneda added eight points.