When the dismantling of UCLA was done and Drew Peterson's stunning career-best night was complete late last Saturday, Brian Zyrkowski flipped on the tape of the last time he saw the former Libertyville guard completely take over a game.
Zyrkowski would never forget how those final four minutes of the 2018 Illinois Class 4A regional title game unfolded. Libertyville High, which hadn't won a regional in 15 years, trailed Conant by 15. The situation was grim. But Peterson was just getting started.
He pulled up from the three-point line on three straight possessions, sinking each. He hit a teammate for an open jumper on his next trip down, then tipped in the following possession off an offensive rebound. Almost singlehandedly, Peterson forced overtime. Then, with time expiring in the extra period, he hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer with a hand in his face to win.
