South Elgin has a happy Senior Night
Two and a half minutes into the game the Libertyville Wildcats looked ready to spoil the South Elgin Storm's Senior Night by scoring the game's first 6 points.
However, South Elgin seniors Kyle Osborne and Jeffrey Lewis had other ideas in mind, leading the Storm to a 61-40 win in nonconference boys basketball action Saturday night.
Osborne, who recently returned from an injury suffered in the Storm's season opener, started things in the second quarter by drilling three baskets from behind the arc and tallying 11 of his game-high 15 points, taking his team into halftime with a 35-24 lead.
"It just felt good to be out there tonight," Osborne said. "When I was out I just practiced every day and it helped."
Jeremy Letchford (11 points) closed the Libertyville (8-15) deficit to 35-26 and 38-28 on a pair of baskets early in the third quarter, but that was the closest the Wildcats would come in the second half.
Lewis, who went scoreless in the first half, scored the Storm's first 11 points of the third quarter ending with a 4-point play. Baskets from senior Josh Smith and Osborne ended a 15-4 run for South Elgin (16-6) for a 50-28 lead.
"In the first half I was really struggling with my shots," Lewis said. "My teammates and coach just told me to settle down and set up my shots, and my teammates did a good job finding me in the second half."
All nine Storm seniors saw time on the court with Dani Lopez and Jordan Dobler each contributing 6 points to the win.
"They've started all of this here," said South Elgin coach Chaz Taft of his seniors. "They believe in the system, they believe in their teammates and they believe in what we're trying to teach them."
Myles Burton added 8 points for the Wildcats, but the spark from Osborne as well as from junior Tommy Childs, who scored 10 first-half points for South Elgin.
"In the second quarter we got some good looks but couldn't convert," said Libertyville coach Scott Bogumil. "They're really a tough defense and we couldn't come back."