Rams get it right, dump Meadows
It's rare to find that just-right combination of skill, height, depth, court awareness, quickness, shooting ability and athleticism that defines an outstanding basketball team.
And then you see Glenbard East play. With 6-foot-6 Lee Skinner and 6-4 Paul Sanders controlling things around the basket at both ends of the floor and bookend 5-9 guards Zach Miller and Jack Merrithey controlling the pace, applying the pressure and knocking down the perimeter shots, the Rams hit you with the near-perfect combination of everything.
That's what they did Monday afternoon against Rolling Meadows in the opening round of Elgin's holiday tournament. With Sanders (21 points) and Skinner (18) virtually unstoppable around the basket and Miller (11 points) and Merrithey (10) causing havoc everywhere else, the Rams (7-2) pretty much had their way from the get-go in a 77-58 victory.
The Rams ran out to a 24-11 lead after one and 44-29 at the half and then held off a barrage of 3-pointers from Rolling Meadows (5-4).
"We came out really on top of our game," said Glenbard East coach Scott Miller, whose son, Zach, a sophomore, runs the controls from the point. "Especially in the first half, we were really clicking."
That would be putting it mildly. The Rams pretty much salted the game away early as Sanders, Skinner and a bench full of long-armed defenders forced shorter Meadows into 13 first-half turnovers and just 9-of-24 shooting.
Meadows did eventually get some sweet perimeter shooting from Richie Kemph (15 points), Ted Metzger (17) and Will Trunk (9 points, all on treys) and pulled within 11 twice, but Skinner had a layin and Sanders 2 free throws to stem a third-quarter rally.
"Give Meadows credit. We weren't able to put them away," said Miller.
"In the second and third quarters, we did play much better," said Mustangs head coach Kevin Katovich.
It was the first quarter that was the killer, though.
"We didn't come with the intensity to match the intensity they had," Katovich said. "They have a good mix of athleticism, size and guards that can shoot."
Meadows will meet the loser between Highland Park and Neuqua Valley in the consolation bracket Tuesday while Glenbard East meets the winner in the championship quarterfinals.