FS_020818

frankfortstation.com sports
the frankfort station | February 8, 2018 | 49
Boys basketball
Griffins continue winning streak with defeat of Providence
RANDY WHALEN
Freelance Reporter
There are many factors
that have contributed to the
fact that the Lincoln-Way
East boys basketball team
is in the midst of having its
best season in school history.
One of those is the contributions
off the bench.
That was certainly the
case last week as Julian
Barr made the most of his
playing time. The 6-foot-
3 junior guard poured in a
game-high 16 points as East
staved off a game Providence
team by a score of
61-47 in a matchup of local
teams on Jan. 30 in Frankfort.
It was the seventh straight
win for the Griffins (17-3),
who recently vaulted into
the rankings in the Chicago
area with victories over state
ranked Bolingbrook (75-72
on Jan. 26 in Bolingbrook)
and Joliet Central (65-53 on
Jan. 27 at the Lincoln-Way
West Shootout). Providence
(8-14), which is looking to
get healthy after a slew of
injuries, hung in all game.
The Celtics were led by junior
guard Matt DiNardi (14
points, 5 rebounds).
At halftime of the game
there was a special honor
for the East football team.
Many member of the Class
8A state champion Griffins,
along with coach Rob
Zvonar and assistants, were
honored by MaxPreps. That
was part of the MaxPreps
and Army National Guard
Tour of Champions. Members
of the Army National
Guard were there to help
honor East, which went
14-0 and was ranked No. 33
in the Nation by MaxPreps.
Although the ceremony
made halftime a little
longer, it was Barr being
brought into the game to
Griffins player Zach Parduhm battles Providence's Luke
Pell for the ball.
start the second quarter that
gave the Griffins a spark.
“We were a little weary
and a little fatigued,” East
coach Rich Kolimas said of
his squad from the pair of
big wins the previous weekend.
“Providence was playing
energized a tough and
Julian came in and gave us
a lift.”
While the Griffins led
most of the way, it was
when Barr came in that they
got some separation. With
East up by five after one
quarter, he hit a 3-pointer
to open the scoring in the
second quarter. With the
Griffins leading 25-17, Barr
banged home a 3-ball from
the left corner with 1:16
left in the second quarter
and then added a highlight
reel play to end the opening
half. That came when
senior guard Sam Shafer
(9 points) whipped a perfect
behind the back pass to
Barr, as streaked down the
right side. Barr glided in for
the layup with four seconds
left to give him eight points
in the quarter and also give
the Griffins a 30-17 halftime
lead.
“It was a nice pass,” Barr
said of the play. “He [Shafer]
saw me cutting and I
was able to make the layup.
The coaches just told us to
find the open shooters and
not to force it. They just
found me open and it was
my night.”
It was, but recently Barr
has set his own personal bar
high. He and Shafer each
had 18 points in the Griffin
76-49 victory over Stagg on
Jan. 19 in Frankfort.
Barr added another
3-pointer in the third quarter,
which ended with East
ahead 42-28. The Celtics
cut the lead to nine on
four occasions in the fourth
quarter, the last time at 52-
43 on layup by senior guard
Scottie Slocum (7 points)
with 2:38 to play. They had
a couple of chances to get
closer, but couldn’t convert.
Doing what he does well,
senior point guard Zach
Parduhn (11 points, 5 rebounds)
drove for a trio of
layups in the fourth quarter.
Barr capped off his night
with five more points in the
East's Sam Shafer (23) aims for the net Tuesday, Jan. 30 in Frankfort while Providence
player Matt DiNardi attempts to block the shot. Photos by Julie McMann/22nd Century Media
final three minutes to also
help put Providence away.
“Zach took over the
game,” Kolimas said of the
fourth quarter. “But it was
just tough. This is a neighborhood
rivalry and we respect
[the Celtics]. They
played us tough and we
needed Julian and Zach to
pull us through.”
Junior guard Adam Taylor
added eight points for
Providence, which continued
to play without starting
junior point guard Kamaron
Please see B-ball, 47