Glenbard East repeats as DVC champs
Glenbard East coach Scott Miller has no trouble remembering the last time his boys basketball team lost a DuPage Valley Conference game.
He’s probably one of the few.
The Rams won their 26th straight DVC game and in the process clinched their second straight outright conference title with Friday’s 85-69 win at Naperville North.
Four players hit double-figure scoring for Glenbard East (20-3, 12-0), which last lost a DVC game in double overtime to West Aurora to finish conference play two seasons ago. Naperville North (13-11, 7-5) had five double-digit scorers trying to keep up, but separation ultimately arrived in the third quarter.
“Our motive coming out of halftime was to beat them the first four minutes and make them call a timeout,” said Rams guard Tyree York, who scored 12 points. “I feel like we just outworked them after halftime. That was the goal.”
Rams forward Johnny Hill overcame early foul trouble to score 16 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. Eleven points came in the third quarter as the Rams built a 13-point lead on Zach Miller’s 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the frame.
Naperville North narrowed the gap to 74-65 with three minutes left in the game on a basket by Jovonn Griffin, who led his team with 16 points, but Glenbard East closed on an 11-4 run.
The Rams converted only one field goal in the fourth quarter but made 17 of 21 free throws including 7-of-8 shooting by Hill and 6-of-6 shooting by Miller, who scored 18 points.
“I think the turning point was mainly in the third quarter where we had three turnovers in a row and missed a layup, and that gave them a spark,” said Huskies coach Jeff Powers. “Chasing a good team like that, that can shoot free throws like that, it’s hard to come back from that.”
Kevin Priebe set the tone for Glenbard East in the first half by scoring 15 of his 19 points off the bench. Naperville North rallied for a 28-26 lead on Griffin’s 3-pointer, but the Rams took a 40-37 advantage to the half.
The Huskies’ Jon Mengel scored 12 points, Matt LaCosse and Kyle Lindberg had 11 apiece and Nick Buege finished with 10 points.
“It feels good to finally clinch and get what we deserve,” Priebe said. “It’s a total team effort, and that’s why we’re here.”