High school boys basketball: Cary-Grove reaches Hinkle championship bracket for first time since 2007

ALGONQUIN – Cary-Grove finished off its business against Marian Central in Pool IV of Jacobs’ Hinkle Holiday Classic Thursday afternoon and waited, impatiently.

Four-plus hours later, the Trojans received the news for which they had hoped. South Elgin beat Jefferson, 78-56, forcing a three-way pool tie that sent C-G into the championship bracket for the first time since 2007.

“It means a lot,” Trojans forward Frank Jakubicek said. “That was our goal coming into this tournament. It was a tough loss to Rockford Jefferson (73-65 on Wednesday) and we definitely think we deserve to be in the championship bracket.”

C-G, South Elgin and Jefferson all finished 2-1 in Pool IV. The Trojans receive the championship bracket berth by virtue of the highest free-throw percentage (73.5) of those three. South Elgin shot 65.1, Jefferson shot 57.0. South Elgin goes to the consolation A bracket since it beat Jefferson.

Many of the C-G players watched the internet feed of the South Elgin-Jefferson game and counted the Storm’s free throws. C-G (9-4) plays Barrington (8-1) in Friday’s 6 p.m. semifinal game. Waubonsie Valley (11-1) faces Chicago King (10-5) in the 7:30 semifinal.

C-G defeated Marian, 82-38, Thursday and hit 9-of-13 free throws, making it 36 of 49 at the line for pool play. South Elgin needed a victory and to be almost perfect at the line against Jefferson to catch the Trojans.

Jakubicek, a 6-foot-8 junior, scored 20 points to lead the Trojans on Thursday. He hit two 3-pointers and had a steal and dunk in the first half. Guard Beau Frericks scored 17 points and hit three 3s.

“The caliber of our team, either in the championship or consolation A, we will put some damage in there,” Frericks said. “Every team we play we have to come in and compete and play our hardest. Every team can come after us if we don’t work hard on the court and aren’t efficient.”

Trojans coach Adam McCloud just wants his team to continue improving.

“Our goal at the beginning of the season wasn’t to win the Jacobs tournament,” McCloud said. “It was to win a (Fox Valley) conference championship. If we’re progressing toward that, I like where we’re at. It feels good to have nine wins at this point. We’ll get better in the next two games, I know that.”

After its first-round victory over South Elgin, which is 10-3, C-G knew a trip to the championship bracket was within reach. Jefferson hit 11 3s on Wednesday against the Trojans, who then needed a favor from South Elgin.

“This team has the talent to be in the championship conversation,” McCloud said. “We are inconsistent at this point. We all have to get better. Whoever we play, we have to have a South Elgin-type of effort. That’s a good team.”

C-G played 16 players and had 11 score in the victory over Marian (1-8, 0-3). The Hurricanes are without their top two players, guards Jakub Baranski and Ben Moscinski. Baranski has missed several games with a back issue, while Moscinski suffered a knee injury. Hurricanes coach Curtis Price is uncertain when either will return. He hopes Baranski, who started as a sophomore last season, might return in January.

“(Baranski) had good days and bad days,” Price said. “He wants to be out there. I’m concerned with him more as a kid than as a player. We’re missing our two best players. All we can do is keep fighting.”

STAR OF THE GAME

Frank Jakubicek, Cary-Grove, jr., F

The 6-foot-8 junior scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, with 16 points in the first half. He had two 3-pointers along with five rebounds.

THE NUMBER

74: Points for C-G guard Beau Frericks, who is third in tournament scoring after three games.

AND ANOTHER THING...

C-G had hit 75.0 percent of its free throws (27 of 36) heading into Thursday’s games. The Trojans hit 9 of 13 to finish at 73.5, while South Elgin hit 15 of 24 against Jefferson to finish at 65.1. Jefferson shot 57.0.

Cary-Grove 82, Marian Central 38

CARY-GROVE (82)

Cunningham 1 0-0 2, Frericks 6 2-2 17, Rice 0 0-0 0, Aulert 2 0-2 4, Jakubicek 8 2-3 20, Waco 1 2-2 4, Weaver 2 0-0 5, Sowa 3 1-2 9, D. Szydlo 0 0-0 0, West 5 0-0 10, Forney 1 0-0 3, Bowers 1 2-2 4, Beaugureau 0 0-0 0, O’Hara 0 0-0 0, E. Szydlo 0 0-0 0, Zintl 1 0-0 2. Totals: 32 9-13 82.

MARIAN CENTRAL (38)

Gibson 2 0-1 4, Saxelby 0 0-0 0, Stumpf 0 0-0 0, Hurley 5 1-2 11, Geils 3 1-1 7, Pivnicka 1 0-0 2, Minneci 2 2-2 6, Allen 1 1-2 3, Shukis 0 0-0 0, Ricciardi 0 0-0 0, Truckenbrod 2 0-0 5. Totals: 16 5-8 38.

Cary-Grove 23 26 24 9 – 82

Marian Central 6 14 13 5 – 38

3-point goals: Cary-Grove Marian Central 1 (Truckenbrod). Total fouls: Cary-Grove 8, Marian Central 12.