Michael O’Brien’s notebook: Feb. 4, 2017

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St. Patrick’s Xavier Pinson (11) looks up at the clock as time runs down against St. Viator. Worsom Robinson/ For the Sun-Times.

Once again, St. Patrick started well and then pretty much fell apart. It’s easy to write off the loss to St. Patrick since Alton Thompson didn’t play, but not so easy if you watched the last two games from the Shamrocks. The St. Viator loss was extremely similar to the Loyola game.

Really liked what I saw from the St. Viator sophomores, Jeremiah Hernandez and J.R. Cison. Hernandez will definitely be an interesting college prospect, he can do a lot of things on the court. Read all about it.

Saturday’s top games

Prospect 69, Lyons 47: The Knights were led in scoring by Michael Ritchie with 20 points. They had 22 assists on 24 field goals. That says an awful lot about just how well Prospect is playing right now.

Bolingbrook 85, Belleville East 70: The Raiders are still unbeaten, passed this test with ease. Massive game from Nana Akenten with 31 points and 12 boards. Kaleb Thornton added 19. Illini recruit Javon Pickett scored 30 for Belleville East.

Evanston 86, Belleville Althoff 58: Wildkits cruise past a Crusaders squad that clearly isn’t the same without Jordan Goodwin. Nojel Eastern did a bit of everything with 10 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. A real shame the Eastern-Goodwin matchup didn’t happen.

Bloomington 75, Marian Catholic 69: Spartans lose, but another big game from sophomore Malik Tidwell, who scored 22.

Webster Groves, MO 75, Morgan Park 67: Ayo Dosunmu scored 21, Cam Irvin 16.

Champaign Central 76, Larkin 62: Tim Finke dropped 30 for Champaign. Royals center Jalen Shaw had 20.

St. Joseph 75, St. Charles North 68: A really nice win for the Chargers and win No. 999 for Gene Pingatore. He will go for 1,000 in the first round of the Catholic League Tournament.

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