Pace doesn't suit Hoffman in 67-57 loss to Maine East

This was not the pace it wanted, the defensive effort it wanted or the confidence-builder it wanted heading into next Friday's much-anticipated rematch at Conant.

All in all, Saturday's 67-57 loss to visiting Maine East was one of those games Hoffman Estates just wants to forget. But it's safe to say that Hawks coach Bill Wandro won't let that happen.

"A lot of things weren't in our favor, tempo was one of them," Wandro said. "The fact that they took 24 free throws and we got to the line four times, that pretty much says what's going on in the game."

The shooting performance from Maine East (14-7) was staggering, considering it was coming off a tough 64-53 loss to Deerfield on Friday night, and it was up against one of the stingiest defensive teams in the area on Saturday.

The Blue Demons made 64 percent (24-of-37) from the field, running through the lane at times as if it was still the pregame layup line.

"That's what we preach, we want to get the ball inside and work our offense off of that," said first-year Maine East coach and Meadows grad Glenn Olson, whose team scored 20 of its 28 first-half points in the paint.

Avery Roche was a man among boys in the first half, scoring at will against the Hawks (13-10). After junior Chris Hall (8 points) made a layup to pull Hoffman even at 15-15, the 6-foot-4 senior set up on the low block and muscled in 8 of the Blue Demons' next 10 points, sparking a 13-2 second-quarter run that was capped by a putback from Plez Roche (8 points).

"They kept feeding me, and I was getting open looks so I finished strong," Avery Roche said after scoring 15 points and pulling down 7 rebounds.

For Maine East, it was a balanced scoring effort, as junior Dwight Davis (8-of-9 free throws) scored 17 points, sophomore Charles McKinney added 13 points and junior Danhi Wilson had 14.

For Hoffman, a squad that gives up just a little more than 43 points per game, it was a defensive meltdown as Maine East broke the 43-point mark with 1:01 left in the third quarter.

Hoffman shot a very respectable 54 percent (25-of-46) from the field, led by Luke Mead (17 points), who converted 7-of-16. But run-and-gun is no fun for the Hawks, who admittedly are at their best when the score is in the 40s and 50s.

"We weren't running our stuff the way we were supposed to -- we kept going at their pace," said Hoffman senior Kevin Lessner, who scored 4 points. "When we play outside of our pace we don't play our game."

The Hawks will need to play their game next Friday or Conant could be celebrating another Mid-Suburban West title.