LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.–Despite trailing by an astounding 19-0 margin after the first quarter of play, the Lake Forest High School boys basketball team showed their resolve, battling back all the way to within 3 points of NSC-leading Stevenson in the fourth quarter. Still, Stevenson (13-6, 7-2) used the aforementioned 19-point cushion to earn a 39-35 victory over the visiting Scouts (8-13, 3-6) in Lincholnshire on Saturday.
After their scoreless first frame, Mead Payne began the Scouts’ run with a 3-pointer, which was followed by a steal from Jed Thomas and another bucket on the other end. In the second half, the Scouts cranked up the defensive pressure and Ben Gibson heated up, using an inside-out attack to score a team-high 20 points for Lake Forest. Mead Payne added 9 points, but the Scouts’ struggles from the perimeter (a combined two points from their guards) ultimately resulted in another Stevenson win, their fifteenth straight win over Coach LaScala and the Scouts.
The Scouts return to action tomorrow night against Libertyville (14-7, 7-2), who boast Drew Peterson, heralded by many as the state’s top unsigned senior. In their last meeting, the Scouts lost to Libertyville in overtime, 65-60.
