Boys Basketball: Evergreen Park free throws edge Eisenhower in OT

Updated: January 20, 2012 9:51PM

After missing 20 free throws during a 53-51 loss to Ag. Science on Tuesday, Evergreen Park spent 90 minutes the next two days practicing its foul shooting.

The extra work paid off handsomely Friday night against Eisenhower.

The Mustangs converted 19 of 22 charity attempts, including 6-of-6 in overtime, to hand host Eisenhower a 97-89 defeat in a South Suburban Red tilt.

“What an improvement from our last game,” Evergreen Park coach Pat Flannigan said. “We executed the game plan tonight.”

Brian Townsend Jr. and Jacquet McClendon led the way for the Mustangs with 26 points each. Morgan Murphy contributed 20 — 14 of which came in the second-half and OT. Murphy’s hoop to start the extra session provided the Mustangs with an 83-81 lead. They wouldn’t trail again.

Turron Clayton came off the bench to add 10, including four free throws in the extra session, for Evergreen Park (9-14, 3-5).

“We got contributions from a lot of different players,” Flannigan said. “We came out with more energy and we were more focused.”

Evergreen Park lived off high-percentage shots, finishing 39 of 59 from the field. The Mustangs didn’t attempt a single three-pointer on the night, where Eisenhower finished 21-of-71 from beyond the arc and 31 of 90 overall.

“I’ve seen Eisenhower a number of times and we told the kids, nothing but layups,” Flannigan said. “Townsend took a jumper and one other kid took an ill-advised jumper. Otherwise, it was all layups.”

Those layups resulted in a 38-31 lead at the half. McClendon and Townsend combined for 22 of those points, with Murphy chipping in six.

The Cardinals, however, rallied in the third quarter behind Tyrone Terrell and Kenny Jackson. The duo combined for 23 of the Cards 26 points in the period, which ended tied at 57.

Terrell finished with 25 points, connecting on six treys. Jackson had 17, including five threes. Nick Curta and Olajuwon Prude added nine points apiece for Ike.

Terrell’s three-pointer with 37.2 seconds remaining in regulation tied the game 81-81 and forced overtime.

The Cardinals (6-15, 2-6), however, were outscored 16-8 in the extra session.

“Same story, different game,” Eisenhower coach Mike Curta said. “The shots that we get have to be off screens; where guys work to get off screens. It’s not a lot of standing around and chucking shots, which we were doing tonight.

“We want to get good shots. If you do, you have a chance to win. If you don’t, you have to be lucky and it’s generally not a good results.”

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