Box Score PhotosPALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College men's basketball team had the ninth-ranked team in the country on the ropes on Sophomore Night at the Wellness & Sports Center. The undermanned Hawks squad led by seven with 8:17 to play and were tied with the Stormers at 65 apiece with 2:56 to play.
But Milwaukee (22-6, 9-4 N4C) was effective in the paint in the closing minutes and converted 8-of-10 free throws late to hang on for an 81-73 win over Harper (10-18, 1-11 N4C).
The Hawks led 31-30 at the half despite only shooting 28.1 percent (9-of-32). They got it done on the defensive end, forcing 15 Stormers turnovers in the first half and 24 for the game.
After a quick five-point spurt from Harper's
Allias Burnett (Joliet, Ill. /Joliet West) midway through the second half, the hosts led 57-51. Milwaukee's Thomas Hood Jr. (team-high 18 points) countered with a layup to cut the deficit to four. That's when Hawks guard
Corey Cross (/Thornton Fractional South) sent the gym into a frenzy with a 3-pointer from the corner to give Harper its biggest lead of the game, 60-53, with 8:17 remaining.
Over the next four minutes, the Stormers went on a 10-2 run, capped off by a Evan Burlingame (eight points, nine rebounds) layup to tie the score at 63-63. That's when Hood Jr. and Derrick Cook took over. Hood Jr. converted a layup and 3-of-4 free throws, and Cook scored a bucket inside.
The Hawks, who only dressed seven, had
Christian Poulsen (Schaumburg, Ill. /Schaumburg) foul out with 15:13 to play and Gatlin foul out at the 1:15 mark. Finally,
Abdul Mushtaq (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling) fouled out with 32 seconds left, and Harper was forced to play with four players. Milwaukee's Draylen Fair knocked down 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the closing minute to seal the victory.
Milwaukee shot 46.8 percent (29-of-62) and outrebounded Harper 46-26. Harper shot 36.8 percent (25-of-68).
Sophomores
Marcus Gatlin (Chicago, Ill./Curie),
Abdul Mushtaq (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling), and
Allias Burnett (Joliet, Ill. /Joliet West) as well as videographer Andrew Gray were all honored in a ceremony prior to tipoff.
Here are the sophomore player highlights from the game:
Marcus Gatlin (Chicago, Ill./Curie)The point guard scored 14 points despite struggling from the floor. He was 8-of-14 from the free throw line and added five rebounds, nine assists, and seven steals before fouling out with 1:15 to play.
Abdul Mushtaq (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling)Mushtaq, the Hawks' top 3-pointer shooter, knocked down four more 3s and scored 12 points to go along with six rebounds in 40 minutes. His biggest three came with 6:31 to play and gave Harper a 63-59 lead.
Allias Burnett (Joliet, Ill. /Joliet West)Burnett tied a career-high with 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting. He scored 17 of the 29 after halftime and was also 3-of-7 from 3-point land and 4-of-6 from the foul line. The guard/forward also grabbed seven rebounds and had two assists.
The Hawks conclude regular season play on Saturday afternoon with a trip to Madison College (10-17, 4-9 N4C). The N4C contest is set to begin at 3 PM in the
H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium.
