St. Patrick wins Oak Park league

St. Patrick had only moments to prepare for its championship match up against Proviso East in the championship game of the Oak Park summer league Wednesday night.

Fortunately for them, they confronted a mirror image of sorts.

“After we beat Proviso West [in the semifinals], I said we were going to face the same kind of team with East, slash, slash and slash,” says St. Patrick guard Curtis Gilmore.

Despite playing without top returning scorer Tom Traversa, out with a leg injury, the Shamrocks used a stunning 22-0 run over a 13-minute stretch of the second and third quarters to smash the Pirates 51-32.

Behind the hot early perimeter shooting of junior guard Rishaad Alexander (10 points), the Pirates bolted out to a 21-13 lead halfway through the second quarter. The fifth-seeded Pirates had been the surprise of the playoffs, knocking out highly regarded Foreman on Monday and dispatching top-seed Morton in the semifinals.

St. Patrick scored the final seven points of the first half, a prelude of what was to ensue.  Down 21-20 at the break, the Shamrocks seized advantage with their superior depth, size and team play.  Eight different St. Patrick players scored.

“Once we got that lead, we got our confidence and it deflated them,” said Gilmore.

Senior guard Bryant Smith scored 10 of his game-high 16 points in the second half.  Senior guard Mike Frey (8 points) drilled a three-pointer, the start of a 15-0 third quarter run.  Proviso East did not score until senior Lorenzo Little scored on a three-point play with just under one minute remaining.

“We played much better in the second half,” said Frey. “We did a better job of covering the gaps and taking away their penetration. We also hit some shots, which we weren’t really doing in the first half.

St. Patrick limited Proviso to just three second half baskets. Junior forward Michael Johnson added eight points for the Shamrocks. Gilmore finished with six.

In the semifinals, St. Patrick ousted Proviso West 55-38. Proviso East defeated Morton 71-56.