Glenbard South can't enjoy big margin of victory
In a season filled with close games, even the Glenbard South boys basketball team's strong second half Friday at Wheaton Academy could not help coach Wade Hardtke relax.
"There was a point where I looked up, we were up 10 and I was surprised. I didn't know where that came from," Hardtke said. "We were trying to shorten the game as best we could, but even then it didn't really seem comfortable until we went under the four-minute mark or so because they just keep coming at you."
For the first time since Jan. 6 the Raiders played a game decided by double digits. This one was their largest margin of victory yet, 54-34 in West Chicago, to remain in the hunt for the Metro Suburban Blue title.
Four starters accounted for all of the points by the Raiders (11-11, 5-2). Brandon Whiteside had 19 points with two 3-pointers, Peter Jeske had 15, Billy Powers 12 and Charlie Bair 8 with 13 rebounds.
Wheaton Academy (6-15, 2-6) was led by Jimmy Paganis' 11 points with two 3s and Michael Callentine's 8 points and 7 rebounds.
"They scored 10 points in the second half and that just turned things around," Jeske said. "We really just turned it up on defense. We were getting deflections, everyone was getting down, playing some defense."
The Raiders only led 25-24 following a hotly contested first half. Then came a 14-3 run to open a 39-29 lead midway through the third quarter. They led 46-32 by the end of quarter and scored the first 6 points of the fourth quarter.
In their first meeting Dec. 9 Wheaton Academy rallied for a 59-57 victory after trailing 46-40 after three quarters.
Before Friday the Raiders' previous seven games had been decided by 1 to 7 points. The Raiders had lost three straight by a combined 14 points.
"(Friday's final) score is misleading because it was a lot closer game than that. It seemed like a war in the first half," Hardtke said. "I thought defensively we did a much better job in the second half. The first half we were giving up way too much penetration from the perimeter."
Both teams finished with 14 field goals with four 3s. The Warriors had 3 in the first half, but the Raiders countered with 9 offensive rebounds and 4 steals.
"A close game in the first half. We gave them way too many second-chance opportunities, though," Wheaton Academy coach David Osborn said. "I thought our guys played hard, fought hard, competed. The difficulty was we didn't make shots in the second half. Tip your hat to Glenbard South. They made some shots when they needed to."
In the second half the Raiders had three 3s. A 3 by Whiteside gave the Raiders the lead for good at 28-26, followed by a Bair putback and back-to-back 3s by Whiteside and Powers.
"If I'm open I shoot, but I do both. I take it to the basket and take 3s," Whiteside said.
Besides their 10 steals, the Raiders dominated at the foul line, making 22 of 31 free throws compared with the Warriors' 2 of 5. Whiteside and Jeske each made 7 of 10.
"I definitely came into that game wanting to be aggressive. I just saw lanes for dribbling and I took it to the basket when I could," Jeske said.