Chicago St. Patrick beats Marist

RJ McPartlin was a huge factor in St. Patrick’s run to the state finals last season in Class 3A. The 6-7 senior is a force in the post and an impressive leader on the court and in the locker room for the Shamrocks.

So, when McPartlin spent most of the second quarter on the bench with foul trouble on Tuesday at Marist, it appeared likely the RedHawks would build a significant lead.

That didn’t happen. Junior guard Steven Quach and senior guard Joseph Costanzo kept St. Patrick settled, Jimmy Czeslawski checked in and was a scoring threat and 6-7 Omar Ajanovic anchored the Shamrocks’ defense in the post.

That’s the way it has been all season for St. Patrick. The unselfish, hard-working group finds a way to win. The Shamrocks may be the best team in the area without a significant star player. No. 16 St. Patrick knocked off No. 8 Marist 72-61.

“We have the most charges taken, most loose balls grabbed in years at St. Pat’s,” McPartlin said. “This is a gritty group of guys. We talk about it in the locker room and it isn’t talk. We are going to go out and do it.”

McPartlin finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Quach led with 24 points and Costanzo added 14 points and six rebounds.

“This is a breakout game for [Quach],” St. Patrick coach Mike Bailey said. “This is what we kinda thought he could do. I’m not sure 24 points, but we expect him to be a floor general.”

The Shamrocks (17-3, 4-1 East Suburban Catholic) led by seven at halftime and by 18 near the end of the third quarter. St. Patrick shot 10-for-16 from three-point range.

“It was just a team connection,” Quach said. “We had it going. We followed the game plan and executed really well and moved the ball well. We caught some momentum and kept our energy up.”

Marist (19-4, 2-1) got itself back into the game thanks to its pressure defense and a fantastic fourth quarter from senior Charles Barnes Jr. Barnes scored 19 in the fourth, draining four three-pointers. He finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and three steals.

St. Patrick turned it over too much late but calmed down and shot 7-for-8 from the free-throw line in the final 1:47 to seal the win.

“We are mentally tough, first and foremost,” McPartlin said. “This is a loud gym, and these schools have been playing each other for a long time. Me and the other seniors try to pump as much confidence into the younger players as we can. It means a lot to us.”

The Shamrocks are up in Class 4A this season and were expected to be a solid team, but they’ve already outperformed preseason expectations.

“We’ve played well against the best teams in the state,” McPartlin said. “But this is one of the highest ranked teams in the state and we came in here and won. It is definitely a step forward.”

Marist entered the season with state-title dreams. Things haven’t gone according to plan so far, with senior Stephen Brown missing games last month and now Karson Thomas out injured.

“We’ve just been in a slump the last week or two,” RedHawks coach Brian Hynes said. “I’m a little surprised [by the loss] but not that surprised. It’s the doldrums of the season and we dug too big of a hole, and we are shooting the ball horribly.”