Warren caps solid tourney with third-place finish
PONTIAC -- The first eight possessions for the Warren boys basketball team were worth their weight in gold.
The Devils broke free from a halftime deadlock with Danville in the third-place game at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament with a vengeance Saturday night.
When Brandon Paul nailed a 3-pointer on the right wing four minutes into the second half, the Devils' offensive efficiency surged into overdrive.
The 17-point outburst during the run enabled Warren (8-4) to hold off a late counterattack by the Vikings to emerge with a 58-55 win.
In their afternoon semifinal, the Devils' fourth meeting with Simeon in as many years produced the same result: the two-time defending state champions turned back Warren 48-40.
Still, it was another productive weekend for Warren, which made the final four for a fourth straight time.
"Coming into the tournament we were 5-3 and we weren't playing very well," said Warren coach Chuck Ramsey. "Even the games we won, we didn't play very well. This is a fantastic tournament. It's a great experience for all of our kids."
Paul once again was the main offensive weapon for Warren against Danville, but the junior had able company.
Scott Geske and Eric Williams combined for 19 points against the Vikings to augment the team-high 17-point effort from Paul.
In the Devils' 17-5 run to start the third quarter, Geske had a pair of tip-ins to jump-start the offense, while Williams had a trio of second-half field goals.
Taylor Erbach was also prominently featured as the game plan to become less reliant on Paul paid dividends.
"We came out (after halftime), and they were keying on Brandon," Williams said. "It gave me a chance to drive to the basket, and I took advantage of that opportunity."
"(Ramsey) really emphasizes taking good shots," Geske said. "He also emphasizes better offensive execution."
Geske had consecutive field goals to give Warren its largest lead at 44-30, but Danville answered in kind in the fourth.
The Vikings (5-9), the surprise team of the tournament with their upset over West Aurora in opening-day action, stormed back behind Mikel Brigham and Daveon Allen.
Brigham had game-highs of 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals, and Allen, a sharpshooting guard added 16.
Danville closed to within 3 twice late in the fourth, but Paul iced the Warren victory by sinking 2 free throws with 5.2 seconds left.
Paul a unanimous first-team all-tournament selection.
Against Simeon, 20 turnovers and 40 percent shooting derailed the Devils' chances for a third-straight title appearance.
The Wolverines hounded Paul with a box-and-1 defense, limiting the Devils' standout to 5 points, 31 less than the junior scored Friday night against Oak Park in the double-overtime thriller.
"Chuck Ramsey does a great job with his team," said Simeon coach Rob Smith. "He probably knows our offense better than we do."
"Simeon is not what they have been, but they're still very good," said Ramsey. "We just didn't play well enough to win."