CHICAGO – Tyree York scored the game's final seven points, including a tie-breaking fall-away 3-pointer late and a back-breaking layup with 31 seconds left, to help the Roosevelt men's basketball team rally past the CCAC's hottest team in Trinity International, 66-59, at the Goodman Center on Saturday afternoon.
York ignored a tough game that included an 0-for-8 start from the field and seven turnovers to score 10 big points, while Kevin Priebe scored 16 points and pulled down 12 boards and Joe Harks added 16 of his own in a huge comeback win for the Lakers (15-8, 9-4 CCAC).
Nate Ball led all scorers with 22 points while grabbing 11 rebounds for the Trojans (12-11, 7-6), who won 10 games in a row entering Saturday's clash with the Lakers.
There was a big-game feel in the Goodman Center between the two CCAC North teams, and the Trojans showed why they won their previous 10 contests by getting plenty of offensive rebounds and inside buckets on the strength of Ball and his teammates.
TIU led by as many as 13 late in the first half and nursed a multi-possession advantage for most of the second half, seemingly on the verge of extending its string of victories.
But the Lakers clamped down on defense, with TIU shooting 22 percentage points worse than their 47-percent first-half performance, and the energy of Priebe and a reserve unit that included Joshua Dillingham, Pete Mroz, Jason Markus and Max Bisesi gave the Green and White clutch minutes in the final stanza while cutting down the deficit.
Harks made four straight free throws and Priebe corralled an offensive carom for a game-tying layup with three minutes remaining.
The Lakers got the ball back moments later, and with the shot clock winding down and the lanky 6-foot-7 Ball guarding him, York went to work by stepping back behind the arc and launching an arching shot over Ball's outstretched arm. Tyree's trey attempt beat the buzzer and went through the cup to put Roosevelt ahead 62-59.
Jeremiah Jackson helped the Lakers stand firm on the other end with a block and tough defense on Ball, forcing the latter to go to the line and earn his points. Ball missed both foul shots, giving the ball back to Roosevelt and setting up York to go on a tough, quick drive to the basket that gave him a clean look at a layup he converted to put the hosts up five.
The Trojans missed a three and were forced to foul York, who connected on a pair from the charity stripe with just 13 seconds left to create an insurmountable cushion.
"Defense in the second half was the name of the game," said Roosevelt head coach Joe Griffin. "We played like a different team and that is how we have to play all the time if we are going to make a deep run. Holding them to 18 second-half points and 36 percent shooting from the field was the key, as we did not have our best offensive night, either.
"This is a great team win and, hopefully, another lesson of what we can be when we play 40 minutes like we did the last 20 minutes."
The win was a feel-good cap to Alumni Day, as Roosevelt honored former Lakers across multiple decades with an on-court ceremony at halftime and a post-game reception.
Roosevelt heads to Palos Heights this Wednesday, Feb. 4 to take on Trinity Christian in another key CCAC North Division clash.
Former Roosevelt men's basketball team members were honored at halftime of Saturday's game.
