Trees stands tall as Wildcats stun Z-B

Libertyville's John Colao screams after Libertyville beat Zion-Benton at the buzzer.
(Josh Peckler/For the News-Sun)

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You can’t exactly call it kicking someone when he's down. Zion-Benton’s too good for that.

Even though the Zee-Bees entered the game with a three-game losing streak and without the services of 6-8 starting center Markus Yarbrough.

But the visiting Libertyville Wildcats seized the opportunity to upend an already spiraling Zion team, winning 51-50 at the buzzer on an uncontested layup by Josh Trees on an under-the-bucket out-of-bounds play.

“The guy guarding him bit on my ball fake,” said Libertyville’s Kevin Johns, who made the pass, “and he broke free.”

During the timeout prior to the pass, Zion’s coaches was pleading for the defense to watch out for the lob pass to Wildcats center Jeremy Letchford, and they weren’t far off.

“Our first option was to go to Jeremy on a bounce pass,” said Libertyville coach Scott Bogumil.

“I was covered,” Letchford said.

Letchford took full advantage of Yarbrough’s absence, netting a game-high 16 while being guarded by sophomore Owen Worthington.

The North Suburban Lake game was an exciting one, played before a rocking crowd and featuring nine lead changes in the final quarter. The penultimate lead change belonged to Zion, when Ronald Steward (team-high 14 points) hit a three-pointer with one minute remaining to give his team a 50-49 advantage.

Libertyville held the ball, then called timeout at 37 seconds. The Wildcats then held the ball again until Trees drove the lane and missed with 11.4 seconds left.

The fight for the rebound ended up out of bounds off a Zee-Bee player.

Trees would not miss his second down-low try.

The win, acknowledged as the biggest of the season by Bogumil, makes the Wildcats 5-8 overall and 2-3 in conference.

Zion is now 10-5, 3-2.

Following the game, Zion coach Don Kloth said that he did not know how long Yarbrough would be out.

Before the game, Yarbrough said he had “a chipped [right] ankle” that had been bothering him since the Thanksgiving tournament at Lane. He said a doctor estimated a two- to three-week layoff was in order.

Libertyville got a giant game off the bench by junior John Colao, who had 14 points, including four treys.

Zion jumped out to a 9-4 first-quarter lead in a turnover-infested period that saw Libertyville lose the ball nine times and get off just six shots. But the Zee-Bees were cold, making just four of 15 shots.

Libertyville solved its ball-handling problems and dominated the second quarter 15-6 behind seven points from Letchford, whom Bogumil ordered his players to feed in the post.