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With its season and the career of coach Paul Runyon apparently nearing the end, Downers Grove South’s boys basketball team dramatically turned the momentum in the fourth quarter to defeat Mount Carmel 46-43 in Friday’s Hinsdale South regional final.
The Mustangs (23-5) advance to face No. 1 seed Hyde Park in the Hinsdale Central sectional on Tuesday.
A 7-0 run over the third and fourth quarters put Mount Carmel up 38-29 with 7:35 left in the game, but the Mustangs used great rebounding and Alex Gorniak’s fearless play in the clutch to rally.
Gorniak scored seven of his eight points in the fourth quarter, none bigger than an acrobatic driving layup with 30 seconds left that put the Mustangs ahead 44-43.
Mount Carmel missed two free throws with a chance to tie with 18.5 seconds left, while Gorniak calmly sank two shots from the line in the final seven seconds to produce the final margin.
“Throughout the season we’ve been in these kinds of games, so we were ready for it,” Gorniak said. “It was crucial down at the end. We knew it was going to come down to free throws in a close game.”
Other late heroics were provided by Julius Staisiunas (10 points), who grabbed seven rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. His offensive rebound and assist on a Bledi Dervishi 5-foot jumper drew Downers South within 43-42 with one minute left.
Malcolm Herron led the Mustangs in scoring with 13 points, and was virtually the whole offensive show in a frgid shooting first half that ended with Mount Carmel up 19-14.
But in the end, the calm senior point guard Gorniak took over. He even had three rebounds in the final quarter, during which the Mustangs outscored Mount Carmel 17-7.
“Alex wanted the ball down the stretch,” said Runyon, who will retire following the season. “Julius and Bledi got some great rebounds for us, and Seth (Carson’s) defense late in the game on their top player (guard Tracy Abrams) just was outstanding. He had 16, but just three baskets in the whole game. Malcolm did a great job on him in the first half.
“This typifies this year’s team. They never give up and are going to give you everything they’ve got.”
With its season and the career of coach Paul Runyon apparently nearing the end, Downers Grove South’s boys basketball team dramatically turned the momentum in the fourth quarter to defeat Mount Carmel 46-43 in Friday’s Hinsdale South regional final.
The Mustangs (23-5) advance to face No. 1 seed Hyde Park in the Hinsdale Central sectional on Tuesday.
A 7-0 run over the third and fourth quarters put Mount Carmel up 38-29 with 7:35 left in the game, but the Mustangs used great rebounding and Alex Gorniak’s fearless play in the clutch to rally.
Gorniak scored seven of his eight points in the fourth quarter, none bigger than an acrobatic driving layup with 30 seconds left that put the Mustangs ahead 44-43.
Mount Carmel missed two free throws with a chance to tie with 18.5 seconds left, while Gorniak calmly sank two shots from the line in the final seven seconds to produce the final margin.
“Throughout the season we’ve been in these kinds of games, so we were ready for it,” Gorniak said. “It was crucial down at the end. We knew it was going to come down to free throws in a close game.”
Other late heroics were provided by Julius Staisiunas (10 points), who grabbed seven rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. His offensive rebound and assist on a Bledi Dervishi 5-foot jumper drew Downers South within 43-42 with one minute left.
Malcolm Herron led the Mustangs in scoring with 13 points, and was virtually the whole offensive show in a frgid shooting first half that ended with Mount Carmel up 19-14.
But in the end, the calm senior point guard Gorniak took over. He even had three rebounds in the final quarter, during which the Mustangs outscored Mount Carmel 17-7.
“Alex wanted the ball down the stretch,” said Runyon, who will retire following the season. “Julius and Bledi got some great rebounds for us, and Seth (Carson’s) defense late in the game on their top player (guard Tracy Abrams) just was outstanding. He had 16, but just three baskets in the whole game. Malcolm did a great job on him in the first half.
“This typifies this year’s team. They never give up and are going to give you everything they’ve got.”
