Vikings Capture First Ever Sectional Title with Comeback Victory

Niles North Coach Glenn Olson was visibly frustrated with his team after the first half. And he had reason to be. The Vikings were settling for jump shots, missing open three-pointers and playing lazy defense.

This wasn’t the same Niles North team with only one loss since December. This wasn’t their brand of basketball.

But all of that turned around in the final 16 minutes. Their second-half play epitomized this Niles North squad: hard-nosed defense, strong rebounding and miles of heart and toughness.

On the strength of their defense, the Vikings rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit and pulled out a hard-fought 53-52 win over Schaumburg to win the IHSA Class 4A Winnetka Sectional championship. It is the first sectional championship for Niles North in its history.

“We preach defensive intensity and toughness and playing through adversity and we got a little bit of all that tonight,” Olson said. “I’m very pleased with the way they kept playing.”

After shooting only 2-for-11 on 3-point field goals in the first half, Niles North started attacking the basket more consistently. And when the Vikings needed a bucket, Andre Shaw – whose buzzer-beater against Deerfield delivered Niles North this year’s conference championship – came up big.

Tied at 47-47 with 1:30 left in the game, Abdel Nader drove down the lane and found Shaw in the right corner. The 6-foot-3 senior guard swished a three-pointer to give Niles North the lead for good.

“I just have so much more faith in our whole team since Christmas,” Nader said. “It’s been so great. Our team chemistry has sky-rocketed through the roof.”

Niles North looked nervous and out of rhythm in the first quarter, understandable for a team whose only experience in pressure playoff basketball came on Tuesday against Notre Dame.

During the regular season, Niles North often had trouble adjusting to more tightly called games, and the same thing occurred in Friday’s first half. The Vikings were called for 13 fouls and the Saxons took advantage. Schaumburg shot 15-for-16 from the free-throw line in the first half, something they’ve thrived at during the post season.

Niles North’s struggles on the offensive end were partially due to Schaumburg’s defensive pressure. The Saxons did a great job of preventing any dribble penetration into the lane and the Vikings were forced to shoot contested jump shots. Even when they got open looks from beyond the arc, Niles North couldn’t known them down.

Nader struggled as well, shooting 3-for-12 from the field in the first half.

“We didn’t think we played hard enough. We thought we played really lazy in the first half and were trying to take the easy way out instead of being disciplined,” Olson said. “That second half we wanted to play hard, play more disciplined. That was the bottom line.”

Still trailing by 13 points midway through the third quarter, Niles North went on its inevitable run. John King banked home a jumper after getting fouled and converted the free throw. After Earl Washington made one of two free throws, he went coast to coast for a layup just before the buzzer to trim Schaumburg’s lead to six points.

Mychael Henley’s transition layup midway through the fourth quarter gave Niles North its first lead of the game.

After scoring 34 points in the first half, Schaumburg managed only 18 in the second half. The Saxons shot only six second-half free throws.

“We’re a second half team. We always know we have a chance by the defense we play,” King said. “We always know we’re not out of a game no matter what.”

Niles North will face Warren in its Super-Sectional matchup, with a chance to go to the state championships on the line.

Nader led the Vikings with 23 points. Javon McDonald had 15 points to pace Schaumburg.

“We’re not done. We’re trying to get that trip down to Peoria and make a run down there,” Nader said. “We’re definitely not done yet.”