Curie beats Simeon in a thriller

There was an 18-point second-half comeback, a winning shot from out of bounds and behind the backboard and a clinching block by a player making his Public League debut.

What a game.

No. 7 Curie vs. No. 10 Simeon had everything Thursday, and the Condors pulled off a -67-66 victory over the host Wolverines.

The last basket was incredible. Curie senior Ramean Hinton somehow made a shot while falling backward out of bounds.

“It was a tough shot because I was behind the backboard,” Hinton said. “To be honest, I didn’t think it was going to go in. But they say when it goes in, you are clutch. I was fouled, but a ref isn’t going to call it there. I made the game-winner.”

Hinton was spectacular throughout, finishing with 23 points and 15 rebounds. It was a rebound that led to his clutch shot.

Saiveon Williams, a 6-6 senior, made his Chicago debut. He was initially ruled ineligible after moving from South Carolina to play with his brother Armond Williams Jr.

“I don’t have time to waste,” Williams said. “This is my first year in Chicago, first game. So I just came to show everyone what I can do. South Carolina ball is slow. This is a fast pace. I have to get used to it.”

Curie’s Josiah Hammons (10) attempts a shot against Simeon. | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

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Curie’s Ramean Hinton (23) celebrates after hitting a shot and getting the and one against Simeon. | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

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Curie’s Ramean Hinton (23) and the rest of the Condors celebrate after a come-from-behind victory over Simeon. | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

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Curie’s Ramean Hinton, right, and Simeon’s Amari Fears go nose-to-nose after a call. | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

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Curie’s Saiveon Williams (4) shoots from beyond the arc as Simeon’s Phillips Holmes, Jr., defends. | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

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Curie’s Elijah Pickens, right, works his way toward the basket as Simeon’s Jaylen Drane defends. | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

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“I knew he was nervous because I was nervous for him,” Curie coach Mike Oliver said. “He’s real good. He could be one of the top unknown players. He’s going to open up a lot of eyes. He’s very athletic, and he can score.”

Williams had 11 points, seven rebounds and five blocks. Simeon sophomore Jaylen Drane had a chance to win the game for the Wolverines at the buzzer. He streaked down court after Hinton’s shot, but his layup was blocked by Williams.

“I didn’t know what he was going to do, so I just stayed there and when he came, I jumped straight up,” Williams said. “I was hoping they wouldn’t call a foul.”

Senior Elijah Pickens had 17 points for Curie (6-0, 3-0 Red-South/Central), and Josiah Hammons scored 10 off the bench. All 10 came consecutively in a wild one-minute stretch of the third quarter that got the Condors back in the game.

“Josiah came off the bench and gave us a lift,” Oliver said. “We started making shots, and then we just chipped away and turned the defense up a little bit.”

DePaul recruit Ahamad Bynum and junior Fred Poole each had 12 points for the Wolverines (5-3, 1-2), who have lost two consecutive games at home.

Drane added 10 points and six rebounds, and Jeremiah Williams had nine points and seven rebounds.

“We were kind of doing what we wanted to with them and got comfortable,” Simeon coach Robert Smith said. “We got lazy with the ball and made some bonehead plays. We are still young and still fighting. That was a great high school basketball game.”

The teams could meet again next week in the semifinals of the Pontiac Holiday Tournament.

“This is a huge win,” Oliver said. “Anytime you get a win at Simeon, it is huge. Especially being down 18 points with nothing going right. The first half we played selfish, and that’s as bad as we’ve looked in 10 years.”

Hinton, a Southeast Missouri State recruit, has been left out of the early Player of the Year discussions that focused on Young’s DJ Steward and Morgan Park’s Adam Miller. He watched his teammate, DaJuan Gordon, win the award last year after being counted out in the preseason.

“I want to win Player of the Year, win city and win state,” Hinton said. “And I want to win every tournament we play and be the MVP.”