Ian Miletic Leads Rolling Meadows’ Freight Train to the Mid-Suburban League Championship
The Mid-Suburban League title game is one of the last great conference championship events in the area. All the coaches and all-conference players and a gym full of fans gather to see which team brings home the trophy. Imagine how painful it is to lose that significant community event three years in a row. That’s what Rolling Meadows had to deal with the last few seasons.
A New Chapter for the Mustangs
On Wednesday, the Mustangs had a chance to turn history around. Senior Ian Miletic and his teammates rose to the occasion in style.
“This meant a lot for our guys,” Miletic said. “We came out with a high level of energy, and ultimately we had something to prove.”
Miletic, a Marquette recruit, was aggressive and efficient. He scored 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting to lead host Rolling Meadows to a 69-62 victory against No. 18 Fremd.
“They became kind of like a freight train coming at you on offense,” Vikings coach Mike Brown said. “We couldn’t get enough stops. They are really good. We would’ve liked to have executed better, but they came out hot.”
Unstoppable Offense
Rolling Meadows started hot and never really cooled off. The Mustangs, who set a school record with 18 three-pointers in their game Friday, shot 9-for-18 from three-point range and 24-for-39 from the field.
“This is a really good shooting team,” Rolling Meadows coach Kevin Katovich said. “But what makes us a really good shooting team is they are unselfish. They share the ball. They are willing to find the open guy, and they don’t really care who gets the credit.”
The Mustangs (25-4) led 54-41 after Ryan Meyer’s three-pointer late in the third quarter. Fremd charged back with a 6-0 run early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 54-47. The Vikings made another run late and cut Rolling Meadows’ lead to 65-60 on Samuel Hirsch’s three-pointer with 52 seconds left.
Miletic and senior Jack Duffer then went 4-for-6 from the free-throw line to seal the win.
A Total Team Effort
“We have a group of guys that are connected and all looking to achieve the same goal,” Miletic said. “It was a total team effort. Everyone did all the little things that add up to winning.”
Senior Lazar Lazarevic scored 13 points off the bench. Gavin Escobedo added 12 points, and 6-8 senior Patrick Coen finished with nine points.
“[Lazarevic] wanted to come out tonight and prove that he’s a really good player,” Katovich said. “It was nice that he had the opportunity to do it in front of a big crowd.”
Fremd’s Strong Performance
Fremd’s Jordan Williams had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Hirsch finished with 18 points and five rebounds. Junior Tommy Moffett scored 11.
The Road Ahead
Rolling Meadows and Fremd have significant playoff goals. The Vikings are the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A Schaumburg sectional, and Rolling Meadows is No. 2.
“We’ve had that in our minds since last year,” Coen said. “This is the right time to start kicking it up as a team. Tonight was that first step. We want to take it up to the next level and make a run to Champaign.”
Conclusion
With this win, Rolling Meadows has finally broken their three-year losing streak in the Mid-Suburban League title game. The team’s strong performance, led by Miletic’s 20 points, was enough to take down Fremd and secure the championship.
FAQs
* What was the final score in the game?
+ 69-62 in favor of Rolling Meadows
* How many three-pointers did Rolling Meadows make?
+ 9-for-18
* Who led the Vikings in scoring?
+ Jordan Williams (18 points) and Samuel Hirsch (18 points)
* What are the playoff goals for Rolling Meadows and Fremd?
+ Rolling Meadows is the No. 2 seed in the Class 4A Schaumburg sectional, and Fremd is the No. 1 seed.
