Collin Wainscott saw the clock ticking away and knew there was no way he was going to make it to half court, so he heaved the shot up into the air just before the halftime buzzer.
The weight of 47 years of Marmion basketball futility couldn’t hold it down. Saturday in Kaneland, history was finally on the Cadets’ side.
Wainscott’s shot went in.
It gave Marmion an eight-point halftime advantage and the Cadets never cooled off. Wainscott opened the third quarter with a traditional three-pointer and the rout was on, ending in an 87-61 running-clock victory to give Marmion its first regional championship since 1976.
“It means a lot,” Wainscott said. “At the beginning of the year this is what we were talking about, winning a regional championship. Last year we lost to Crystal Lake South so this feels great. We put in all the work.”
Wainscott finished with 35 points. The four-year varsity guard shot 4-for-8 from three-point range and 14 of 16 from the free-throw line.
“Collin is outstanding,” Marmion coach Joe Piekarz said. “He controlled the game and did what was needed.”
It was a close, entertaining first half. Kaneland led 28-27 with three minutes left in the second quarter. Both schools brought big crowds and student sections.
Marmion’s 23-4 run to take control of the game was interrupted by halftime but still felt like an avalanche.
“We always talk about how we have to take the win,” Cadets senior Jabe Haith said. “That’s what we did. We knew they had the firepower to get back into it so we had to make sure we built a lead they couldn’t do anything about.”
Haith finished with 19 points and nine rebounds. Trevon Roots, a 6-7 senior, added 15 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
Marmion (21-11) took its lumps in the Catholic League this year, finishing 5-8. But the high level of competition it faced is paying off in the playoffs.
“Some teams spend the season playing not-so-great teams and it doesn’t prepare them for a stage like this,” Heath said. “We are battle-tested after going through Mount Carmel and St. Rita and Brother Rice.”
Junior Troyer Carlson led Kaneland (26-6) with 16 points. Senior Gevon Grant added 13 points and six rebounds and junior Parker Violett finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Marmion will face the Crystal Lake South vs. Freeport winner in the Class 3A Burlington Central Sectional semifinals on Tuesday.
“I put 1976 on the board in the locker room” Piekarz said. “From the start of the season the guys had been determined to change the perception of Marmion basketball. This is just one more step in that direction.”
