Shamrocks Go 2-2 at Proviso West, Defeat Carmel
January 7, 2008

The Saint Patrick basketball team spent their Christmas Break facing the toughest competition in the state at the 47th Annual Proviso West Holiday Basketball Tournament.  The Shamrocks dropped their first game, but bounced back with a pair of victories to reach the Consolation Championship Game for the second straight year.  There they lost by a score of 33-32 to the Wildkits of Evanston, who knocked Saint Patrick out of the IHSA State Playoffs last season.

In their opening game, the Shamrocks drew the Spartans of Glenbrook North.  The Shamrocks struggled from the start as Glenbrook North built a 20-9 halftime advantage.  The second half wasn’t any better for the Shamrocks, and the Spartans cruised to a 55-24 win.  Saint Patrick shot only 28 percent from the field, they went 0-10 from three-point range, and they made only two of nine free throws.  David Campbell and Bryant Smith paced the Shamrocks with five points each.

In their first game in the consolation bracket, Saint Patrick faced the Meteors of Thornton Fractional North.  The Shamrocks came out strong, outscoring the Meteors 12-6 in the first quarter.  The Shamrocks shot 56% from the floor on their way to a 21-13 advantage at halftime, and they held on for a 49-41 victory.  Campbell led the Shamrocks with 16 points and three assists. Bradley Bruno scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds, while Jerome Robinson added 10 points and five rebounds.

The next morning the Shamrocks took on the Hawks of Hillcrest with a berth in the consolation final on the line.  The game was tied at 15 after one quarter, but the Shamrocks took charge in the second period, when the Shamrocks used their transition game to out score the Hawks 17-4.  Saint Patrick then rolled to a 59-40 victory.  Robinson was a force, scoring a game-high 18 points on 9-10 shooting from the floor. Smith and Campbell each scored 13 points, and Tim Traversa contributed nine points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals.

In the consolation final, Saint Patrick faced Evanston.  The Shamrocks held the lead throughout the first half, and they established their biggest lead at 22-14 early in the third quarter.  Evanston took the lead when they went on a 13-2 run to end the quarter.  The Wildkits held the lead the rest of the game, but a late Shamrock comeback gave them a scare.  With Evanston ahead by four in the final minute, the Wildkits’ Ryan Frazier missed the front end of a one-and-one.  The Shamrocks got the rebound, and Bradley Bruno hit a three-pointer to make it a one-point game.  Frazier was fouled with seven seconds remaining, and he again missed the free throw, with the Shamrocks grabbing the rebound.  Campbell brought the ball up the floor, pulling up near the top of the key.  Campbell hesitated when he saw a teammate under the basket, and he slipped and fell, turning the ball over to seal the Shamrocks’ fate.

In their first game back after the break, the Shamrocks traveled to Mundelein, where they faced the Corsairs of Carmel in an East Suburban Catholic Conference match up.  The Corsairs came into the game with a record of 3-13, with an 0-4 mark in conference play, but they gave the first-place Shamrocks all that they could handle as Saint Patrick pulled out a 51-49 overtime victory.

The Corsairs played the Shamrocks even through the first half, as they came out in a 2-3 Zone defense, which caused the Shamrocks problems as they couldn’t hit their outside shots.  The game went to the half with the Shamrocks leading 18-16.

The Shamrocks took charge in the second half, establishing a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, but the Corsairs’ David Venegoni brought the Carmel back.  Venegoni scored 13 fourth-quarter points, including three three-pointers.  Venegoni banked in a 30-foot shot at the horn to send the game to overtime. 

In the extra period, Venegoni fouled out, and Traversa put the Corsairs away by hitting a 15-foot runner as time expired for the win.  Campbell paced Saint Patrick with 20 points, while Traversa and Robinson finished with eight points each. The Shamrocks struggled from the foul line, making only 13 of 23 foul shots in the game.

Saint Patrick is now 9-4 with a perfect 4-0 mark in the E.S.C.C.  This weekend the Shamrocks face a pair of conference opponents when they host Notre Dame on Friday night before heading out to Lisle to take on Benet Academy on Saturday night. The Shamrocks have dominated Notre Dame for most of the last decade, winning 17 of the last 18 games against their closest rival.