Downers Grove S. 63, Willowbrook 56 (OT)

When you're a young team trying to find your way through the world of varsity boys basketball, any win is a big one.

But when that win is the result of erasing a 13-point deficit with six minutes to play, the ramifications could resound throughout the season.

Time will tell if that's the case for Downers Grove South, but if the Mustangs go on to great things this season, they could look back to a cold Nov. 30 evening as the jumping off point.

Trailing visiting Willowbrook 48-35 early in the fourth quarter, Downers South (3-1, 1-0 West Suburban Gold) fought back to tie the game at 50 at the end of regulation before sprinting away from the Warriors (3-2, 0-1) in overtime for a 63-56 triumph.

"The never-give-up attitude these guys have shown so far has been great," said Downers South coach Paul Runyon.

Truth be told, it could have been easy to give up when faced with such a deficit, but instead of packing it in, the Mustangs turned up the defensive pressure on the Warriors. After committing just 6 turnovers through 3 quarters, Willowbrook gave the ball away 10 times in the fourth, resulting in numerous easy baskets for the Mustangs.

Spearheading the defensive effort for Downers South was Malcolm Herron, who had 4 steals in the fourth quarter and overtime on the way to a game-high 18 points, while he also grabbed 10 rebounds.

"The pressure sparked us the most," he said. "We had some steals and defensive stops -- and a lot of heart."

When Herron wasn't turning the steals into baskets of his own, he was setting up Andrius Simulis for big shots; together the pair combined for 15 of Downers South's 16 points in the fourth quarter.

On the other side Willowbrook coach Tim Lavorato saw his team look like the inexperienced squad over the final six minutes, plus the four minutes of overtime -- during which the Warriors had just one field goal -- after they had efficiently built their big lead.

"We hurt ourselves and that's the bottom line," he said. "You need good decision-making in game situations and we didn't play well in those situations and they did. We're a good team and it's early in the season, but we're a team that has to learn to play in those situations."

Willowbrook's advantage was built on yeoman work on the boards as it outrebounded the Mustangs 49-26 in the game, while their 24 offensive rebounds -- most of which were grabbed by Milton Colbert, Joe Flood, Jamell Hunter and Kevin Pohl -- led to 25 of the Warriors' 56 points.