Prospect edges rival Mustangs

When Rolling Meadows and Prospect meet, you can throw out the records. In a year where the Knights are atop the Mid-Suburban League and the Mustangs near the bottom, watching the two teams play would make one think they are seeing two evenly matched teams.

Jack Redding and Mike LaTulip led Prospect (15-3, 7-0) with 15 points each as the Knights defeated Rolling Meadows 62-58 in Mid-Suburban East play Friday night. After a steal and layup by Mike LaTulip gave Prospect a 39-16 lead with 6:14 left in the third quarter, it seemed as if the Knights had the game in hand.

“Credit Rolling Meadows, they keep fighting until the end,” LaTulip said. “We just have to keep our composure because turnovers have been our Achilles heel and we just took care of business there at the end.”

Rolling Meadows however, did not allow the lead to get any greater and fought back against their neighborhood rivals. The Mustangs went on a 12-2 run in the middle of the third quarter to close the gap to 41-38. Richie Kemph, who scored a game-high 17 points for Rolling Meadows (6-12, 2-5), scored eight in the run.

The two teams went on to put on a free throw shooting contest in the fourth quarter, as Prospect made seven of their 12 shots. Paul Volkmans two free throws tied the game at 54 with 2:04 left in the game. But LaTulip, who scored all of his points in the second half, saved the game when he stole Jimmy Garoppolos inbounds pass at mid-court.