Kaneland opens with 5-point win over Glenbard S.

Kaneland was looking for a spark in its Western Sun Conference opener at home against Glenbard South.

Nick Wagner was just the man for the Knights' boys basketball team.

After starting the Knights' four Thanksgiving games, the senior was the first man off the bench Tuesday night in Maple Park.

"Just trying to mix things up a little bit," Kaneland coach Dennis Hansen explained.

The senior scored on a putback at the first-half buzzer, and the Knights would never relinquish the lead again in their 52-47 victory over the Raiders.

Kaneland is 2-3 overall, 1-0 in the league; Glenbard South fell to 2-2, 0-1.

After converting the last of his 8 first-half rebounds to give Kaneland a 25-24 lead entering the break, there were two critical elements to the Knights' second-half performance.

The first came in the opening two minutes of the third quarter when Kaneland, which missed all nine of its 3-point attempts in the first half, canned three of four from beyond the arc when the Raiders began the third with in a zone.

"They looked like they were struggling from the field, and we decided to switch things up," said Glenbard South coach Wade Hardtke. "They caught fire."

Three-pointers from Wagner, Ryley Bailey and Steve Colombe resulted in a 34-28 lead for the Knights, but the Raiders responded behind center Andy Manson.

The senior post had a personal 6-point run for Glenbard South to keep the Knights' suddenly potent perimeter game in check.

Glenbard South climbed within two on a Dennis Bolton rebound conversion, but Kaneland would then lay the groundwork for the most critical run of the game.

Back-to-back field goals from Danny Arnold and Dave Dudzinski extended the Knights' lead to 40-33 late in the third, and Wagner started the final quarter as he began the second half.

Draining his second 3-pointer of the game as the centerpiece of his game-high 16-point night, Wagner launched a 7-0 burst in the first three minutes of the fourth to give Kaneland its largest lead of the game at 47-35.

"(Wagner) was all over the floor," said Hansen. "It was nice to see him out there playing like that."

The Wagner heroics, which included a game-best 11 rebounds, were needed as the Knights' other senior leader, point guard Kevin Green, left the game with a separated shoulder.

"We are so young," said Hansen.

Dudzinski, the Knights' imposing 6-foot-9 force inside, complemented Wagner with 15 points and 10 rebounds while holding Manson, who led Glenbard South with 13 points, scoreless in the fourth quarter.

"They wanted it more from the get-go," said Hardtke. "We struggled from the field."

Chase Madigan buried three 3-pointers to finish with 11 points for Glenbard South.