PALATINE, Ill. - The Harper College men's basketball team played their best defensive game of the year and Shonnon Barfield (Posen, Ill., Homewood-Flossmoor) poured in 30 points to lead the Hawks to a 76-52 victory over #12 Milwaukee Area Technical College.  The win closes out a three-game homestand in which the team went 2-1.
 
Barfield played a magnificent all-around game in shooting 11 of 18 from the floor including four three-pointers and leading the team in every major statistical category.  The second-year player pulled down ten rebounds, dished out five assists and tallied five steals.  He also led Harper (8-17, 2-7 N4C) with two blocked shots.
 
But it was on the other end of the floor where the Hawks won the game as Harper challenged shots all night long and never let Milwaukee find any rhythm offensively.  They held the Stormers (17-8, 6-3) to 26% percent shooting in the first half and 33% for the game, including 12% (2-17) from long range.  Harper scored 25 points off turnovers to just nine for Milwaukee.
 
The Hawks surrendered a season-low in points and allowed only one Stormer to reach double-figured in scoring.  The 52 points was the fewest Milwaukee has scored this season.
 
“This is a good win,” Amarino said.  “This is a very good team we beat.  It gives the kids confidence that we can compete in our region.”
 
A flurry of three-pointers midway through the first half were the difference-maker for Harper.  Trailing 16-13, the Hawks buried five straight three-pointers in less than two minutes.  Connor Miklasz (Mt. Prospect, Ill., Hersey) started the run while Horace Grant, Jr. (Deerfield, Ill., Deerfield) and Barfield combined to knock down the last four.  William Payne (Hillside, Ill., Fenton) capped the 17-0 spurt with a layup as Milwaukee went nearly five minutes without scoring.
 
“We played probably our best all around game,” said head coach Tony Amarino.  “We were on fire, hitting threes, which opened the game and I think it gave us confidence.”
 
Leading 37-22 at the half, the Hawks had to withstand a Stormers rally and didn't buckle when Milwaukee went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 43-35 with 12:39 remaining.  Barfield responded with a three-pointer to halt the spurt and give the momentum back to Harper.
 
“Shonnon hit the biggest shot of the game when they were making a run,” Amarino said.
 
Milwaukee pulled within 50-39 before Harper put the game out of reach for good with an 8-0 run.  Louis Erkins (Schaumburg, Ill./Glenbard South)'s (Schaumburg, Ill., Glenbard South) scooping layup started it off and Miklasz's spin move in the lane with 6:53 left ballooned the lead to 19.  Milwaukee would get no closer than 17 the rest of the way as Harper led by as many as 27.
 
Miklasz added 13 points while John Lorenz (Elk Grove Village, Ill., Elk Grove) hit two of Harper's nine three-pointers to finish with 12 points.  Jordan Mack (Hillside, Ill., St. Joseph) had nine points and five rebounds.  No Stormer started scored more than seven points as Nate Johnson led Milwaukee with 14 points off the bench.
 
Harper next takes the floor on Saturday for a 7:00 PM contest at Joliet Junior College (17-7, 6-3).  Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
 
N4C Standings

1.	Triton	9-0	22-3
2.	Joliet	6-3	17-7
3.	Milwaukee	6-3	17-8
4.	Rock Valley	5-4	15-10
5.	Madison	4-5	7-16
6.	Wright	3-6	8-15
7.	HARPER	2-7	8-17
8.	DuPage	1-8	10-15