Benedictine's Bailey pours it on; Abron sets record
The Benedictine men's basketball team (7-13, 6-7) went 1-1 against two of the top three teams in the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) last week, as junior guard Jared Bailey rose to the occasion in both games.
Bailey averaged 26 points, 5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game, while shooting 68 percent from the floor and 58 percent from 3-point range.
Bailey tallied a team-high 22 points in an 82-80 overtime loss to league-leader Aurora, and he scored a game-high 30 points -- including the winning basket with five seconds left -- in a 78-77 win over Concordia (Wis.).
In the Concordia game, he hit 10 of 12 from the floor and 6 of 7 from beyond the 3-point arc.
"When Jared is on it is something to see," said Benedictine coach Keith Bunkenburg. "He has the athleticism to not only shoot the lights out, but to contribute in every other phase of the game. He's definitely one of the most exciting players in the conference and in our region."
Indoor track and field: Women's sprinter Kimyenna Abron and men's thrower Matt Wilkin were outstanding at Saturday's Carthage College Metzger Invitational.
Abron set at least one school record for the third time in as many weeks, lowering her own standard in the 200 when she sprinted to a time of 26.46 to finish second in a 31-participant field. She also finished third in the 55-meter dash in 7.48 seconds.
"Kim is an exceptional talent," said Benedictine coach Jon Wolcott, "Considering that this is her first season running collegiate track, we are impressed with what she has already shown us.
On the men's side, Wilkin tossed for 51-4½ in the 35-pound weight throw.
College of DuPage
Host College of DuPage (12-11, 3-2) won the battle of free throws in a 95-91 victory over Triton College on Saturday.
In a game that saw 80 free-throw attempts, DuPage connected on 30 of 43, while Triton was 24-for-37.
The win knocked Triton out of first place in the North Central Community College Conference.
"In all my years of coaching, I never remember 80 free-throw attempts in one game," said Chapparals coach Don Klaas. "It was unbelievable. The game took forever."
All-American Tim Niles (23 points-- led a group of six Chaps in double figures.
Reggie Smith scored 17, Ryan Tyszkiewicz (Willowbrook) had 16, Robert Odumuyiwa (Downers Grove South) and John Shodipo (Lisle) contributed 13 apiece and Otis Scarver (Naperville North) added 10.
The Chaps will host N4C leader Joliet Junior College today at 5 p.m.
Elmhurst
The 16th-ranked Elmhurst wrestling team (7-5, 2-1) placed third at the Wheaton College Pete Willson Invitational last weekend.
Elmhurst finished 1.5 points out of second place behind Division II Wisconsin-Parkside. Wisconsin-LaCrosse won the tournament.
The Bluejays finished higher than three top-15 teams including Wisconsin-Whitewater, North Central and Heidelburg.
Jake Oster, a returning All-American who had been sidelined with an injury most of the season, won his second straight tournament at 125 pounds by winning all four of his matches. Oster is ranked No. 5 in the nation.
Jeff Kastel (Hinsdale Central), placed second at 149 with a 4-1 record. Kastel, also ranked No. 5 in the nation, lost to third-ranked Elliott Spence of Mount St. Joseph (Ind.) in the finals. Kastel has 112 career wins, 2 shy of becoming Elmhurst's all-time leader.
Fourth-ranked Kyle Katz of Elmhurst took third at 157 with a 4-1 record
Women's basketball: Elmhurst's Lyndsie Long averaged 23 points last week, as the Bluejays posted a 1-1 record in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play.
Last Tuesday, Long scored a game-high 25 points in a 70-68 last-second loss to Wheaton. On Saturday, the 5-foot-10 sophomore forward scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the Bluejays' 93-73 win over Augustana.
Long leads the Bluejays in scoring with an average of 16.3 points per game.
Elmhurst (8-11), is fourth in the CCIW. The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the conference tournament.
Wheaton
Senior Toby Boltz was Wheaton's top finisher with a fifth place at 174 pounds in the Thunder's Pete-Willson-Wheaton Invitational last weekend. The Thunder finished 19th in the 27-team field, which included some of the Midwest's top Division III teams.
Men's tennis: The Thunder opened its season last weekend by going 2-1 at the Wisconsin-Whitewater "Warhawk Invitational." Wheaton defeated Michigan Tech and Concordia (WI), and lost 9-0 to Wisconsin-Whitewater. Senior All-American Josh Williams (Naperville Central) and freshman Davis Moore (Wheaton Academy) were both 2-1.