Buffalo Grove 78, Thornwood 60

Brian DeSimone doesn't have to score to show his true value to Buffalo Grove.

On Saturday afternoon, DeSimone put on a scoring show among the best in BG boys basketball history.

The 6-foot-1 senior guard lit up visiting Thornwood (8-11) for a career-high 39 points and hit six 3-pointers as BG (16-4) won the nonconference game 78-60.

But DeSimone couldn't help but lament 2 points that got away as he was in the process of scoring BG's first 17 points in the opening 5:14.

"That's what I was thinking, I should have made 41," DeSimone said with a grin of 2 missed free throws.

That would have put DeSimone in BG's single-game 40-point club with Brian Coderre (45 points against Springfield in 1983), Brian Allsmiller (42 in 1975-76 and 41 in 1974-75) and Jason Strojinc (40 in 1994-95).

DeSimone hit his last 9 free throws, including a pair with 16 seconds left to depart to a nice ovation from the home fans. He shot 12-for-18 from the field and 6-for-8 on 3s in the first half.

"It was one of those nights," DeSimone said after smashing his previous best of 27 points on Nov. 30 against Elk Grove. "After the one I banked in (top-of-the key 3 to put BG up 46-27 at halftime), I knew I had it going.

"All the credit goes to my teammates. We were swinging the ball and I kept getting open off picks and getting good looks."

DeSimone scored 20 first-quarter points -- 3 shy of the BG mark by Carl Wren in 1993 -- on 7-for-8 shooting with five 3s.

"Here and there I had to chip in a couple," BG senior Mike Ricciardi joked of finally breaking DeSimone's torrid start with a rebound basket en route to 16 points. "I've always thought he had the potential to do that every single game."

But that isn't the selfless DeSimone's game as he took only 4 second-half shots. He had 7 rebounds and 2 assists.

"That was amazing," said BG coach Ryan O'Connor. "And he wasn't just one-dimensional out there. It was the best performance I've seen him have in a game."

Paul Timko added 12 points and sophomore Mike Cornely had 8 rebounds with Federico Iudica resting an ankle he rolled Friday night.

Ten turnovers in the first 4:09 of the second half helped Thornwood rally within 51-47 but BG put it away with a 14-3 tear in the final 3:42.

"We folded a little bit but we got it back together," DeSimone said.