Marian Catholic’s Zack Sharkey led his team to a 68-54 victory over Hillcrest in the third-place game of the Aurelio’s Pizza Chicago Heights Classic on Friday, November 29. Sharkey scored a game-high 28 points, including an impressive 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.
According to the game’s statistics, Delan Davis added 16 points for Marian Catholic, while Tyler Jolly contributed 10 and Landon Mays chipped in nine. The Spartans’ proficiency from beyond the arc and at the foul line was crucial, as they outscored Hillcrest 15-3 from three-point range and shot 81 percent (17-of-21) from the free-throw line. In contrast, Hillcrest struggled at the charity stripe, converting just 15 of their 32 attempts (47%).
Marian Catholic shot 23-of-49 (47%) from the field, whereas Hillcrest made only 19 of their 58 attempts (33%). The Spartans also had a slight advantage in fouls, committing 23 compared to Hillcrest’s 21. Both teams experienced players fouling out, with Jolly and Hillcrest’s Bradley exiting early.
Hillcrest was led by Thomas with 14 points and Carmicle with 13. Ratliff added seven points, including Hillcrest’s sole three-pointer.
The Spartans aim to build on this third-place finish as they continue into the rest of their season.