Glenbard North’s Jeremiah Fleming buries game-winner, Proviso East

Facing the ultimate pressure, Jeremiah Fleming felt no hesitation in letting his shot fly.

Fleming answered Kalin Fisher’s tying three-pointer with a three of his own with eight seconds left, giving Glenbard North a 77-74 upset of Proviso East in Wednesday’s Class 4A Bartlett Sectional semifinal.

“(Glenbard North) coach (Joe) Larson, he always tells us to shoot the ball, just let it fly,” Fleming said. “No hesitation.”

Fisher, who scored 40 points for Proviso East (23-7), buried a corner three to tie it with 19 seconds left. Forgoing a timeout, Glenbard North quickly got it ahead to Fleming for a long trey from the wing.

Glenbard North had led 70-63 with 1:58 left. Fleming brushed off the extra heat.

“When that guy hit that three, I was calm,” Fleming said. “I knew somebody would make a play. Turned out to be me.”

Proviso East had one last crack inbounding at half court with 2.8 seconds left, but Chip Flanigan knocked away the ball as Fisher went up for a deep three from the top of the key.

“It just wasn’t in the cards for us tonight,” Pirates coach Donnie Boyce said. “Kalin had an unbelievable game. To be honest, they deserved to win the way they had us on our heels in the first quarter.”

Glenbard North (23-5), playing in the program’s first sectional game since 2002, hardly showed it.

Playing with the same “manic” aggression that won them the DuPage Valley Conference and earned the victory at West Aurora recently, the Panthers hit 11-of-17 shots for a 30-20 lead after a torrid first quarter.

Flanigan scored 18 points and Fleming 16 for the game, two of his triples coming early. With Larson repeatedly yelling “attack,” the Panthers obliged.

“That’s the way we play,” Larson said. “We’re going to be aggressive.”

Even playing at a breakneck pace, the Panthers showed poise. They turned it over just 10 times.

When Javon Carter capped off a 14-2 Proviso East run with a three to give the Pirates their only lead, 45-44 in the third quarter, Glenbard North answered with Pasquale Fiduccia’s three-point play.

“Playing that fast, we made some great decisions,” Larson said.

Fisher hit eight threes, scoring 13 of his 40 in the fourth quarter. West Virginia-bound Carter added 15 despite playing nearly the entire second half with four fouls.

Fiduccia scored 15 and Justin Jackson 13 for Glenbard North, which hit 10 threes and advances to meet Morton in Friday’s sectional final.