Downers North overcomes Shurna, Glenbard West
John Shurna played Friday night like a senior in his last boys basketball home game.
It wasn't enough.
Despite Shurna's 28 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocked shots, Glenbard West lost to visiting Downers Grove North 42-37 on senior night in Glen Ellyn.
"The last home game, you want to go out on top, but it just didn't go that way tonight," the Northwestern-bound Shurna said, still signing autographs long after the game had ended. "You've got to give Downers a lot of credit, they came out with a lot of energy, forced a lot of turnovers. They played a good ballgame. We just didn't have our best today."
Downers North's offensive game plan was to avoid the 6-foot-8 Shurna and 6-4 Chris Watt. Of the Trojans' 14 field goals, 6 were 3-pointers.
"We wanted to stay as far away from Shurna and Watt as we could, because one is huge and strong and the other one is long and tall and very athletic, a great rebounder, so we wanted to spread it out," said Downers North coach Jim Thomas. "Luckily the 3s went in today. If they don't it's probably a different story."
Meanwhile, the Trojans (10-15, 2-10 West Suburban Silver) tried to figure out a way to stop Shurna at the other end of the court.
"After he had the first (15) out of their (17) points, I said let's try whatever defense works on him," Thomas said. "Obviously, it didn't (work), he had 28 points. But I think the 2-3 (zone) at the end was probably the most effective out of everything. But we threw a 1-3-1, a man-to-man, a switching man at him. Luckily we timed it up right at the end of the game."
The teams went back and forth all game, with the Trojans taking a 35-33 lead for good on Kameron Norton's basket with 4:55 to play. After a Shurna basket made it 37-35, the Trojans stopped attacking the basket, forcing the Hilltoppers (13-12, 4-8) to foul. They made 5 of 9 free throws down the stretch, while holding the Hilltoppers to just one more Shurna basket.
The win gives Downers Grove North a little momentum entering Monday's regional opener against St. Laurence.
"It's huge," said sophomore guard Nick LeBeau, who hit three 3-pointers and led the Trojans with 12 points. "Going into the regionals, it's a huge win."
Glenbard West will try to get a different result when it opens Class 4A regional play at Naperville North on Monday.
"It's a little frustrating, but you've just got to look at that film and get ready for the playoffs," Shurna said. "It's either win or go home, and I want to keep playing as long as I can for Glenbard West."