Boys Basketball: Pils’ remarkable performance carries Cats to OT win
By Tim Froehlig Contributor January 21, 2012 11:14PM
Libertyville's Griffin Pils (No. 11) celebrates after sinking three free throws that tied up the game during the fourth quarter of Saturday's game against Carmel. Pils poured in 40 points as Libertyville beat Carmel in overtime 83-76. | Brian O'Mahoney~fo
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Updated: March 26, 2012 1:57AM
Though the dust has settled after a spectacular, 40-point performance — which sparked an amazing rally over rival Carmel Catholic — Libertyville boys basketball fans, and coaches, are still talking about 6-foot-4 senior guard Griffin Pils.
In case you missed it, Pils just about single-handedly brought the Wildcats (12-6 overall) back from a 12-point deficit, with just three minutes to play, against the Corsairs (7-9) for an 83-76 victory in overtime Saturday night. It was a finish that had to be seen to be believed.
After missing his first five shots, Pils went into the locker room at halftime with just five points, and the Wildcats trailed Carmel 38-28 at intermission.
“At halftime, I looked at the scoresheet and said, ‘We have to get him going,’ ” said Libertyville coach Scott Bogumil said. “But no one could have known what he was going to do next. It was unbelieveable.”
When Pils returned to start the second half, his performance was … well, pick your own adjective.
Simply put, what Pils did on the scoresheet — which fittingly, came on Senior Night at LHS — was staggering.
Pils scored a modest seven points in the third quarter, but then exploded for 20 in the final five minutes of the fourth. He capped Libertyville’s improbable comeback to force overtime, after being fouled on a desperation three-pointer and then swishing three free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score at 71-71.
“When Griffin got fouled, I saw our school’s principal looking over at me, and I’m like, ‘I’ve got no answer for this one,’ ” Bogumil said. “(Pils) was suddenly unstoppable.”
In the four-minute overtime period, Pils sealed the win when he added eight points — all on free throws. In fact, he did the most damage at the foul line. Pils finished a perfect 19-for-19 from the stripe, and was 17-for-17 during the final five minutes of regulation and OT combined. He also finished the game 5-for-9 from three-point range.
All told, Pils scored 28 points in the game’s final nine minutes. He also notched a double-double by nabbing 12 rebounds. He added five assists and a pair of blocked shots for good measure.
“I don’t know how to describe what I just did,” Pils said. “I just don’t know. I was trying to take what they gave me out there, and then that happened. I’ve never had a night like that.”
Pils, whose career-high had been 28 points prior to exploding for 40, hasn’t received a single college scholarship offer.
Meanwhile, Ellis Matthews (19 points, 5 rebounds) and Jack Deichl (12 points) continued their solid play on offense. But it might have been the Wildcats’ tenacious defense in the final few minutes that got lost in the mayhem.
“I think that’s the key to our season the rest of the way, our defense,” said Libertyville senior guard Adam Witucki. “Our defense (which forced 10 Carmel turnovers in the final 9 minutes) was what kept us in the game, and has kept us in a lot of games this season.”
Libertyville was set to play in a North Suburban Conference Lake contest at Zion-Benton on Tuesday, and will face Lake Zurich in yet another division game away from home at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Despite their strong record, the Wildcats are just 2-4 in the stacked NSC Lake.
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