Analysis: Steady Nerves Help Andrew Hold Off Stagg

No matter who was on the free-throw line in the fourth quarter for Andrew on Tuesday night, in that pressure-packed moment the season was on the line for the Thunderbolts.

Remarkably, the T-Bolts’ free-throw shooters were able to tune out the noise made by the Stagg student section on the opposite end of the court, and those shooters went 12-for-13 from the line in the fourth quarter.

That showing from the line helped Andrew pull away for a . The Thunderbolts will meet Lockport in the regional title game on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The young man who helped ice the cake for Andrew was junior guard Mike Bobek. He and Glorind Lisha each sank all four of their attempts from the charity stripe inside of two minutes in the final stanza. It was Bobek's first pair, however, that put the game out of reach, widening Andrew’s lead to seven points.

"Those free throws for Bobek at the end were huge,” Andrew coach Mike O'Halloran said. “We don't hit those, we don't win. He had ice in his veins and got the job done."

"I focused, took some deep breaths, and it was either make them or go home,” Bobek said. “We knew we would get them.”

Andrew improved to 16-10, while Stagg closed out its season with a 21-6 record.

Switching Gears: Bobek, who finished the evening with eight points, plans to try out for the boys' volleyball team after the basketball season is over.

The Big Swing: Jabbar Adekoya hit a three-pointer with 3 minutes left in Tuesday night’s game to swing the momentum back to Andrew and lay claim to one of the biggest shots of the game.

Rivalry History, 2010-11: Dec 17: Andrew 49, Stagg 42 (at Stagg). Feb 8: Stagg 49, Andrew 47 OT (at Andrew).