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Sports

Boys Basketball: Payonk's Buzzer-Beater Lifts Sandburg over Bolingbrook

Sandburg 53, Bolingbrook 51: Eagles junior Kenny Payonk scored on an out-of-bounds alley-oop as time expired to lift the host team in Southwest Blue action Tuesday night in Orland Park.

The Hot Read: Sandburg junior Kenny Payonk was not the Eagles' primary option when coach Todd Allen designed the final play in Tuesday night’s game against Bolingbrook.

"We were initially looking for Jason (Viane)," Allen said about the Eagles' inbounds play with .5 seconds remaining and the game deadlocked at 51-51. "(The Bolingbrook players) doubled off (Viane), and (Nick Lehnerer) threw me the ball as I split off (Viane)," Payonk said. "I've never had a moment like that in a game before."

Payonk instantly tipped the ball toward the basket, and it hit perfectly off the backboard to give the Eagles a most improbable 53-51 win in Orland Park.

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"I don't know how you can put time back on the clock in a high school game," Bolingbrook coach Rob Brost said. "The (final) buzzer sounded."

But the officials said Bolingbrook last touched the ball—on Brian Dace's missed shot with only seconds remaining—and put half a second on the clock.

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Sandburg rallied from a 49-44 deficit in the final three minutes behind Lehnerner, who scored a game-high 23 points on five three-pointers.

Patch’s MVP: Lehnerer. The Sandburg guard scored 23 points to lead all scorers, and the last of his five assists produced the game-winner.

Key Stats: Bolingbrook was its own worst enemy in the fourth quarter, missing the front end twice in the bonus. "If we make our free throws, it doesn't come down to (the buzzer-beater)," Brost said. Payonk converted two key free throws with 1:12 left to give Sandburg the lead, but Bolingbrook guard Chad Cooke tied it with a jumper with 22 seconds to play.

Sandburg’s Leaders: Lehnerer (23 points, 5 assists), Payonk (13 points, game-winning shot at buzzer) and Viane (7 points, 5 rebounds).

Bolingbrook’s Leaders: LaTree Russell (20 points, 8 rebounds), Jarius Geralds (15 points), Cooke (7 points, game-tying shot with 22 seconds to play).

Quotable: Sandburg coach Allen on his offense: "When we execute our stuff, we get pretty good looks." The Eagles used a variety of screen packages to enable Lehnerer to convert five shots from beyond the arc. Said Lehnerer: "At halftime, Coach told me to shoot the ball with confidence and rise up."  

Team Records: Sandburg is 12-8 overall, 5-4 in the Southwestern Conference Blue. Bolingbrook fell to 6-15 overall, 3-8 in the league.

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