Adam Miller rises to challenge, Morgan Park beats Simeon

SHARE Adam Miller rises to challenge, Morgan Park beats Simeon
morganpark_CST_021619_7.jpg

Morgan Park’s Adam Miller (44) holds off Simeon’s Kejuan Clements (0) in CPS semi final game at Chicago State University, Friday, February 15, 2019. | Kevin Tanaka/For the Sun Times

Morgan Park junior Adam Miller has been one of the city’s superstars this season, but he only managed four points in the first half against Simeon in the Public League playoff semifinals on Friday at Chicago State.

Mustangs coach Nick Irvin was not gentle during the break, asking Miller “Are you a superstar or are you a fraud?”

Miller responded, scoring 26 points in the second half to finish with 30 and lead Morgan Park to a 71-68 victory over the Wolverines, who had their streak of three city championships snapped.

PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFF BRACKET

“You can’t say enough about Miller,” Irvin said. “He needs to take home every award. He’s a phenomenal player.”

PHOTO GALLERY

Miller drained two three-pointers to start the third quarter and Irvin celebrated by pumping his fist in the air and screaming “He’s a killer, he’s a killer.”

“I’m a killer every time I step on the court,” Miller said. “I have to be like that. I slow start with three early fouls but it is not how you start the game, it is how you finish.”

Marcus Watson and Deshawndre Washington each scored 11 for the Mustangs (26-3).

“People worry about stopping me from getting 40 or 30 but it is a team game,” Miller said. “Anyone on the floor for us is capable of doing everything. Washington puts in the work in practice.”

Senior Antonio Reeves led Simeon (16-14) with 21 points and sophomore Ahamad Bynum added 14.

Morgan Park has won 22 consecutive games after starting the season 4-3.

“This means a lot,” Irvin said. “I haven’t been [in the city title game] since 2010 with Wayne Blackshear. We started off rocky and people were on Twitter talking crazy.”

The Mustangs are the area’s hottest team. They will face Curie, the area’s best team all season, in the city title game at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday at Chicago State.

The Latest
The Bears have spent months studying the draft. They’ll spend the next one plotting what could happen.
Woman is getting anxious about how often she has to host her husband’s hunting buddy and his wife, who don’t contribute at all to mealtimes.
He launched a campaign against a proposed neo-Nazis march at a time the suburb was home to many Holocaust survivors. His rabbi at Skokie Central Congregation urged Jews to ignore the Nazis. “I jumped up and said, ‘No, Rabbi. We will not stay home and close the windows.’ ”
That the Bears can just diesel their way in, Bronko Nagurski-style, and attempt to set a sweeping agenda for the future of one of the world’s most iconic water frontages is more than a bit troubling.