Maybe what Joliet needed Tuesday night was a 2-minute warning.
The third-ranked Steelmen were leading No. 19 Thornridge by nine points when they lost control of this south suburban showdown.
Only a couple of missed opportunities by Thornridge allowed Joliet to escape with a 61-59 victory in Dolton.
It all began harmlessly enough when Thornridge’s Edward Gipson scored to make it 61-54 with 2 minutes left. Then Corey Johnson stole the ball and scored on a layup to make it a five-point game. Next, Johnson set up Jeramy Dillion for a three-pointer.
“Those last 2 minutes, we reverted to street ball,” said Joliet coach Bob Koskosky. “The kids thought we had the game won.”
Only when Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-bonus with 6 seconds left and Armond Nelson missed on a follow-up try could Joliet (12-2) begin its celebration.
“As we started to miss our outside shots, their zone defense got tighter and tighter,” said Thornridge coach Mike Flaherty. “Our kids couldn’t throw the ball into the lake tonight.”
Normally a good perimeter team, Thornridge (10-5) missed its first 14 shots from beyond the three-point arc and wound up hitting just three of 21. Collins led the Falcons with 15 points and six steals, while 6-foot-5-inch Josh Drumgole had 14 points and nine rebounds before departing with an apparent ankle injury late in the third quarter.
Joliet, led by reserve DeAndre Cornelius’ 15 points and 13 points and five assists from Derrick Martin, had led 53-42 thanks to a 9-0 run highlighted by Russell Barefield’s 35-foot, buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter.
“We just lost our composure at the end,” Koskosky said. “We didn’t have to rush our shots. The only good thing is, I’m glad it happened now and not later in the season.”
Nobody, not even the coach, really expected Joliet to be playing this well. The Steelmen’s only losses were to state-ranked teams–defending champion Peoria Manual and unbeaten Moline, with Arizona-bound Travis Wilson.
“No, I didn’t think we’d be 12-2,” Koskosky said. “No one thought it would be like this. We’ve got 10-11 players working hard and no superstar.”
