Up by a slim margin late against Bowman Academy, Mount Carmel coach Mike Flaherty yelled to point guard Tracy Abrams to take control of the ball.
Abrams heard him loud and clear, and his steady hand guided the Caravan to a 63-60 victory Saturday at Assembly Hall in a game filled with missed layups and free throws.
The Illinois-bound Abrams had 18 points and three steals.
“It was kind of a ragged game,” Flaherty said. “Both teams made a lot of mistakes.”
Mount Carmel could have put the game away earlier had it made some free throws — the Caravan shot 27-for-43 from the line and 17-for-56 from the floor (30 percent).
“We were lucky to get out of here with a win,” Flaherty said, “especially with the way we shot free throws.”
But Bowman, from Gary, Ind., didn’t shoot much better (25-for-61). DeJuan Marrero, a junior who is sought after by many top Division I schools including Illinois, had 20 points and 14 rebounds.
Bowman led 34-26 in the third quarter, but Abrams helped ignite a 20-2 run that put the Caravan ahead 46-36. Bowman took a one-point lead with 1 minute, 15 seconds remaining, but key steals from Abrams and Malcolm Hill-Bey helped Mount Carmel retake the lead..
Player of the game:
Tracy Abrams, Mount Carmel, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4-for-12 shooting.
Key performers:
Bowman Academy — DeJuan Marrero, 20 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3 steals. Mount Carmel —Malcolm Hill-Bey, 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals.
