Defense does it for Mundelein
Suspense was not on the agenda for the Mundelein boys basketball team Friday night.
The host Mustangs took control of the game early, opening with a 13-0 run against crosstown rival Carmel. They held Carmel to just 9 points in the first half while racking up 44, forced more than 30 total turnovers, finished with four players in double figures, and dominated both ends of the court in an 85-43 victory.
"Last year we more of an offensive-minded team," said senior Navjot Singh, who led all scorers with 19 points and had 5 steals. "This year we're turning into a defensive-minded team where the pressure wears them down and that gets us going. That's what we really focus on.
"We knew we wanted to apply a lot of pressure against their ballhandlers and, if we could do that, we'd get a lot of steals and play our game in transition. We knew if we could do that and get off to a good start, we'd be able to play a good game."
Four of Mundelein's first five buckets came from forcing steals and scoring in transition, with Singh forcing turnovers on three consecutive possessions. The Mustangs (3-0) shot 58 percent in the opening half compared to just 20 percent for Carmel (1-2), with Singh's 15 points leading the way.
"He's our main dude and he's important to us," Mundelein coach Richard Knar said. "He's very crafty around the basket, he can shoot the ball well, and he's a real tough guy to guard. He's real active, knows how to react to screens and can score inside or outside."
Sophomore guard Ben Brust also had a big game for the Mustangs, scoring 17 points to go with 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists. Ken Branch scored 13, grabbed 7 rebounds and collected 3 steals. And Kevin Blackowicz added 15 off the bench, hitting his first 6 shots -- including a trio from beyond the arc.
"Kevin doesn't start, but he's like a starter for us," Knar said.
"When he comes in, better things happen. It's like when Ben Gordon wasn't starting but was the Bulls' top scorer. Kevin can be a double-digit scorer for us every game. That's the expectation we have for him."
Eric Pagsanjan had 9 points and 3 steals for Mundelein, while Andy Rochon had 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.
Carmel shot better in the second half, with Jordan Sivertsen getting hot from the 3-point line. He finished with 13 points on 50 percent shooting and grabbed 4 boards. Pat Cox added 8 points and 5 rebounds off the bench for the Corsairs.
Both teams continue Thanksgiving tournament play at Mundelein tonight, with Carmel facing Prairie Ridge at 6 p.m. and the Mustangs playing fellow undefeated squad Loyola at 7:30. Since every other team already has two losses in the tournament, the winner of that game will clinch a tournament win.