Merrithey, Rams pull away from Naperville N.

Glenbard East guard Jack Merrithey spent the early part of Friday's game looking to set up teammates down low for buckets.

It worked just fine as the Rams scored six baskets inside while jumping ahead of visiting Naperville North 14-9 after one quarter of play in this DuPage Valley Conference boys contest in Lombard.

But things changed drastically beginning with the second quarter for both Merrithey and the Rams (14-4, 6-2). The junior guard dropped in a 3-pointer for his first points of the night to give the Rams a 20-13 lead on the Huskies (7-12, 1-7). It was the beginning of a scoring outburst the likes of which Merrithey had not experienced and one in which the visitors could not contend.

Merrithey connected on three straight 3s on his way to 12 points in the second quarter and, despite a scoreless first quarter, finished with a career-high 29 points as the Rams pulled away from Naperville North 71-47.

"The rim just looked like the size of the backboard," said Merrithey, who went 7 of 11 from beyond the arc. "I was just feeling it. I don't know what it was, but wherever I was I felt I could hit it."

The Huskies were without injured leaders Danny Grimley and Arnas Gintautas, but on this night the powerful Rams would have been tough to slow even at full strength. Center Lee Skinner scored 8 of his 14 points in the first quarter - all down low - while forward Jon Hill added 6 rebounds and 5 steals.

"We have run into some incredible perimeter shooting," Naperville North coach Mark Lindo said after the Rams made good on 10 bombs. "He (Merrithey) was lights out, but they're a very, very good team that's so diverse."

Matt Hasse led the Huskies with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals, while Joe McNicholas had 12 points and 9 boards. But Glenbard East scored 44 points in the middle quarters to take control. When Merrithey left the contest with just less than four minutes left, he had busted out for 29 points in about 18 minutes and the Huskies were done in.

"The rest of the guys did a nice job of getting him the ball once they found out he was hot," Rams assistant coach Austin Nelson said.