Down 41-32 with only eight minutes remaining, a majority of the fans in the packed Competition Gym braced for a loss as their home Scouts had not played their best basketball. Lake Forest had struggled possessing the ball while Zion-Benton used their size and athleticism to build the big lead. However, a 4th quarter outburst for Coach Phil LaScala’s team completely changed that narrative. On Feeder Night with the middle school basketball teams in attendance, the Scouts kept the fans happy with the 55-52 victory.

The Zee-Bees raced out to a 25-20 lead behind 14 Scout turnovers and a plethora of fastbreak points. Zion-Benton was dominating the pace of the game and forced Coach LaScala’s team to succumb to the up-tempo play. The Scouts attempted to slow the game down on the offensive end, but turnovers made it impossible.

The third quarter wasn’t much of a help for Lake Forest as the Zee-Bees outscored the home Scouts 16-12. The lead was extended to 41-32 and the home crowd was silenced. Coach LaScala’s team shot 62% from the field and  down the game, but Zion seemed to be too physical on the other end for the Scouts. Senior guard Michael Pasquella commented, “We really needed to do a better job of getting it down low. We took fewer three’s late in the game and slowed the game down. It worked too.”

In the 4th quarter, a whole new team rocked the home white uniforms. A sense of urgency seemed to finally appear, and the scoreboard was a clear indicator. Crawford Bolton and Jake Fisher provided steady scoring and the “Comp Crazies” were in full effect which led to a 23-11 score over the final quarter. All of this was evident in one play; with 40 seconds left, Pasquella pickpocketed Floyd Bailey and converted the open layup on the other end. The Scouts finally had the lead back and wouldn’t relinquish it: a 55-52 final score gave Lake Forest the win.

Jake Fisher led the Scouts with 19 points, six assists, and two steals. Crawford Bolton added 15 points, three rebounds, and four assists. Coach LaScala’s team also improved on their weak free-throw shooting from earlier in the year as they shot an impressive 72% from behind the charity stripe.

The Scouts improved to 6-10 (3-2 in conf.) and the Zee-Bees fell to 7-8 (2-3). Lake Forest squares off against Lakes on Tuesday on the road.