Munda, Warren pick off Scouts
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It wasn’t uncommon for Warren senior Mitch Munda to catch a lot of passes as a member of the Blue Devils football team last fall. The all-area wide receiver even got a taste of the defensive side of the ball and enjoyed that, too.
“I got in a few games at the end of the year on defense,” Munda said. “It was fun over there on that side of the ball.”
As a member of the Blue Devil basketball team, the standout receiver was receiving his share of passes Friday night during a North Suburban Lake Division road contest at Lake Forest. What made this night different than the football season for Munda was that the passes were coming from the Scouts.
Munda snatched six Lake Forest passes and contributed 9 points on the offensive end to lift Warren to its seventh straight win, 50-38 over Lake Forest.
“Mitch has been our best defensive player,” Warren coach Chuck Ramsey said. “From Day 1, November 7, he has been out here to play, help the team win and he has been tremendous.”
“I take a lot of pride in the role I have for this team,” Munda added. “It’s an easy transition for me from football because I am always moving and feel like I am constantly in the game.”
Munda’s best work on defense came during a strong second quarter that saw Warren (16-2, 7-1) break the game open. Three straight steals from Munda led to run-out baskets for the Devils as Warren opened up a 25-14 halftime advantage.
“One of our big goals tonight was to take care of the basketball,” Lake Forest coach Phil LaScala said. “We know that (Warren) will take those turnovers and convert them into 2 points each time.”
When Munda was taking it away on one end, Toledo-bound senior Nathan Boothe was converting at the other. Boothe, who celebrated his 18th birthday Friday, scored 10 of his game-best 16 points in the second quarter to help Warren break out on top.
“Tonight was a good team win for us,” Ramsey said. “I’m proud of the kids. I thought they came out and played hard tonight.”
Lake Forest (11-9, 4-5) played minus starters Thomas Durrett and Carter Bass for the second straight game but still managed to climb back into the game after trailing by as many as 19 points in the second half. A quick spurt to end the third quarter, then another midway through the fourth brought the Scouts within 48-38 with 3:48 left — but that’s as close as the home team got.
Freshman standout Evan Boudreaux scored 9 of his team-high 11 points in the second half to spur in the Scouts’ comeback.
Western Michigan-bound senior Darius Paul scored all 12 of his points after halftime and hauled down 11 boards for Warren.
