Redhawks show resolve, get comeback win

Naperville Central had lots of opportunities to give up at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic boys basketball tournament.

A double-overtime loss to Libertyville on Thursday or watching a first-half lead dissolve into a 9-point fourth-quarter deficit in the fifth-place game Saturday against the host Wildcats both could've been reason enough for the Redhawks to pack it in.

They didn't.

Despite Wheeling's third-quarter return Naperville Central stayed the course, hit some 3-pointers and free throws down the stretch and finished with a 54-48 win.

"It was a good win," said Naperville Central coach Pete Kramer. "It was an all-out team effort. I thought we kept our composure down the stretch when things weren't going our way. We did a great job of making some things happen for us."

The Redhawks (9-5) opened up the game with an 8-0 run and 3-pointers in the second quarter by Danny Ondik and Drew Crawford helped build a 24-20 halftime lead. Crawford finished with 15 points and Ondik 20.

"I was feeling pretty good and my teammates were knocking some shots down," Crawford said. "It was a good game -- we all played good."

Not only was Crawford a shooting threat, the way he ran his team on both ends of the court was very effective.

"I like to take shots when they're open," Crawford said. "When I'm covered, I like to distribute -- I'm confident in my teammates."

"Drew makes so many things happen for us," Kramer added. "If he's not scoring, he's finding somebody else to score. He draws so many people that he opens up others to score."

Harrison Daniels added 6 for the Redhawks, whose brief 6-0, 5-0 and 4-0 runs in the fourth sealed the win.

"I feel very fortunate to come away with a win," said Kramer, whose team was 3-1 in the tournament. "These kids are showing a lot of character. I'm very pleased."

The Wildcats had many bright spots throughout the game, but they just couldn't hold off the Redhawks late in the game.

"I'm a little disappointed -- but the sun will come up tomorrow," said Wheeling coach Lou Wool, whose team fell to 6-8.