Palatine basketball had an eventful break, going 4-1 while picking up a conference win. With a win at Hoffman to start break out on the right foot, the Pirates headed to a very competitive Jack Tosh tournament hosted by York.

Palatine improved to 2-1 in conference play with a win at Hoffman Estates (6-6) to kick of winter break winning by a score of 53-46. In a game where the Pirates lead the entire 32 minutes, Palatine had no single player in double digits in the points column. Both seniors Matt Ulrich and Chris Refka led the charge for Palatine with 9 points each.

In the opening game of the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic, Palatine faced off against a familiar MSL East team in Elk Grove. A back and forth game saw the Pirates prevailing 54-50 behind a real good all around game by captain Matt Ulrich. Ulrich totaled 17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals, and
5 assists.

“We ask Matt to do a lot,” said Palatine coach Eric Millstone. “He’s a calming influence when things get tight. He’s been through the ringer the last two years and the others look to him for his leadership on the court.”

In the second game of the tournament Palatine fell to Downers Grove South 70-55. The Pirates led by three going into the second half, but in the third quarter the Mustangs outscored the Pirates 23-4 to seal the victory. Sophomore Johnny O’Shea had a team high for the year 24 points and was one of the only good things Palatine had going in the game.

When asked about the loss, O’Shea had this to say, “We started out real well, we were up by 3 and then the third quarter came. We just lost our intensity and didn’t have the help on defense.”

In the third match at York, Palatine found themselves squaring off with Wheaton North. After what looked like a continuation of the second half against DGS, Palatine turned it on, earning a 47-41 victory fueled by the sharp shooting of senior Charlie Van Dyke who had 15. Van Dyke tallied 11 three pointers over the week.

In the final game over break for the Pirates, they prevailed 56-52 over Lyons. After a very quiet stretch of four games, Chris Refka shot the ball well, posting a team high 18 points in the contest. O’Shea and Van Dyke also added on 10 each to give the Pirates their third win of the week, fourth of the break. Palatine now sits with respectable 10-4 record headed into the second half of the season.

Senior Matt Ulrich earned himself all-tournament honors at the Jack Tosh Classic.

Pirates return to action Tuesday, Jan. 5 when they return home to face the Vernon Hills Cougars.