BANK ON IRVING
Junior guard’s floater off the glass at buzzer pushes Hillcrest past T.F. North
Coming out of a timeout with 8.4 seconds left and the score tied 74-74, Hillcrest had planned to get the ball into the hands of Mar’Keise Irving for a potential game-winning shot.
T.F. North, however, threw a wrinkle into those plans — or so it appeared.
“We expected them to be in a man (defense), and they came out in a zone,” Hillcrest coach Don Houston said. “We had to adjust.”
Irving adjusted just fine. The 5-foot-11 junior guard went into attack mode and banked a floater off the glass at the buzzer for a 76-74 South Suburban Red win in Country Club Hills.
Irving saw the Meteors in a zone and knew precisely what to do.
“We’ve been practicing attacking the gaps in a zone,” Irving said. “I just knew I had to get to the rack.”
Did he call “glass” on that floater?
“I didn’t,” Irving said with a laugh. “I did a one-dribble spin move and put up a floater. I wanted the ball in my hands with the game on the line.”
Irving finished with 23 points. Junior forward Jakobi Heady had 12 points, junior forward Julius Rollins had 11 points, and senior guard Jaden Houston added 11 for the Hawks (20-8, 11-1).
For T.F. North (12-15, 4-8), junior forward Julius Byrd had 21 points, sophomore guard Devonte Hall had 14 points, senior guard Jason Fudge had 11, senior guard Marlon Byrd had 10, and junior guard Ed Harris had 10.
T.F. North battled back from a 37-23 second-quarter deficit and led 73-72 with 42.4 seconds left on a basket by Harris.
T.F. North coach Tim Bankston saw plenty of positives in the defeat.
“We’re playing a lot better basketball,” he said. “It’s a game of runs, and we knew we had a couple in us. We just didn’t stop penetration at the end.”
It was a special night, beyond the victory, for Don Houston and his son.
It was senior night, and Jaden Houston is the only senior on the Hillcrest roster.
He knew what that meant. “I’ve been coming to games since I was a little kid to know that he starts seniors on senior night,” Jaden Houston said. “Me being the only one, I knew I was going to start.”
During pregame introductions, Jaden Houston’s name was called last. He made sure to give his father a little longer hug.
“I wouldn’t trade these four years for anything,” Jaden Houston said. “Ninety-eight percent of the time it was a positive experience. It’s exceeded my expectations. My dad helped me get better every year.”
Friday was Jaden Houston’s third game back after suffering a broken wrist. It was the first game he felt like himself. He scored eight straight points in the second quarter.
“My dad told me the last few games that it looked like I was out there trying not to play bad,”
Jaden Houston said. “He told me to play my game.”
Don Houston had complete confidence in his son to get his game right.
“Jaden did what he does best: He knocked down shots,” Don Houston said. “It was a special moment (tonight). As a coach, you try to stay stone-faced. In your heart, you’re cheering like crazy for him.”