Defensive effort lifts Bartlett

Bartlett understands a late-season roll will start with stops.

The Hawks saw another encouraging sign Tuesday night with a 59-50 nonconference boys basketball victory at Elk Grove.

"It's all about defense," said Bartlett senior guard Kevin Gates. "Defense wins games night in and night out.

"At the beginning of the season our defense was up and down. Now we've gotten back to it coming off some losses and stepped up in the intensity on defense."

The Hawks (12-7) have allowed an average of 48.3 points in a 3-1 stretch since a 90-63 loss to Neuqua Valley.

And after giving up 16 points in the first quarter they clamped down and allowed Elk Grove (6-15) only 15 points the next 16 minutes.

"It's really been a change in the kids," said Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith. "The kids have really done a good job of deciding they're going to play team defense and focusing on those concepts."

Bartlett used a mix of man-to-man, zone and extended traps to force 24 turnovers. Eight came in the second quarter as it opened a 34-20 lead 56 seconds before halftime.

"We came out with intensity," Gates said. "That's how we have to do it the rest of the season."

Luke Labedzki (11 points) and Gates (9 points) led a balanced attack. Scoring leader Marc Little was held to just 8 of his 22-point average by Elk Grove's J.J. Lastovich but had 8 assists.

Aaron Naper, who returned from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury, and Frankie Cleope added 8 points apiece.

"As a byproduct our scoring has also gone down," Wolfsmith said of the defensive emphasis. "You could see it was a little choppy out there. We probably left 15 to 20 points on the floor."

Elk Grove had 14 points off the floor as senior scoring leader Matt Martinski missed his second game and will be out 2-to-4 weeks with a partially torn ACL. Guard Brian Battaglia was also out with six stitches in his lip and Lastovich (17 points, 4 assists) played with three stitches in his cheek.

"You can't tell me he didn't do a good job on him," Elk Grove coach Anthony Furman said of Lastovich's defense on Little. "I thought he stepped up. That kid is talented and he forced him to play his best."

Elk Grove got within 55-47 with 1:56 left when Lastovich found Donny Duschinsky (13 points, 9 rebounds) for a 3-pointer. But three possessions to get closer came up empty.

"My guys are playing hard," Furman said. "Falling short to Bartlett still made us better tonight."