Boys Basketball: Barrington preparing for postseason opener
BY CHARLES BERMAN cberman@pioneerlocal.com February 17, 2012 11:14PM
Palatine- Robby Vollman Barrington drives to the hoop. Boys basketball game: Barrington vs. Fremd.. | Joe Cyganowski~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 24, 2012 8:08AM
After being shut out in the first half and missing significant minutes in the fourth quarter due to foul trouble, Barrington senior John Schneider bounced off the bench to convert a game-winning three-point play with one minute to play Friday night at MSL West rival Fremd.
Despite contact, Schneider’s lay-up and ensuing free throw proved the deciding points in the Broncos 54-51 road win. The 6-foot-7 forward had sat on the bench the previous two and half minutes with four fouls.
“I have a lot of confidence in my teammates that they can get the job done, but I always want to make sure I can have a say in the outcome of the game,” Schneider said.
Schneider finished the night with 10 points, all coming in the second half. Barrington junior guard Scott Nelson picked up the slack early, scoring eight of his 12 points in the first quarter.
“It helps hitting the very first three of the game,” Nelson said. “That just gets you going the rest of the night.”
Nelson also said he was able to capitalize on Fremd’s attention focused on Schneider, junior point guard Brad Zaumseil (10 points) and senior forward Mark Bennett, who put up a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“The defenders on the other team are focused on taking them out,” Nelson said. “It gives me a chance to get some points and make an impact on the team.”
Broncos coach Bryan Tucker credited the team’s second half defense for the win. After trailing 31-24 at the half, Barrington was able to hold the Vikings to 20 points in the final 16 minutes, including only seven in the fourth quarter on one field goal.
“It was definitely a game of attrition,” said Tucker of losing Schneider and Zaumseil to foul trouble late Friday night. “These guys have been through the battles. They knew what they needed to do.”
While Barrington (18-8, 8-3) had four players in double figures, Fremd only had one with senior Nate Serviss’ 10.
“We feel we got some guys that can put the ball in the basket, so if teams want to try and take someone away that really doesn’t bother us too much,” Tucker said. “Our guys share the ball and understand that’s what it takes to win.”
It only took Barrington half of the third quarter to erase Fremd’s seven-point halftime lead. The Broncos pulled even with 3:57 left in the quarter when Bennett stole an errant in-bound pass and finished the play with a lay up on the other end.
Then Bennett struck from three-point range 30 seconds later to give Barrington a 39-36 lead.
“We were like, ‘if we don’t change what we did in the first half, it’s just going to get ugly,’” Tucker said of his team’s 13-5 third-quarter run and defensive clamp-down.
Fremd, who dropped to 5-5 in conference play, had three chances in the final minute to tie the score but misfired on three opportunities from beyond the three-point arc.
Regardless of the outcome, Barrington was already locked into a second place finish in the MSL West. The Broncos will play Prospect in its MSL crossover finale.
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