Block, Geneva tackle W. Chicago in opener
Nolan Block could not have opened the season in grander style.
The Geneva senior guard had back-to-back 3-point field goals to begin the Vikings' defense of the Hoops for Healing boys basketball Thanksgiving tournament at Oswego on Monday night.
West Chicago was victimized by the Vikings' trapping and pressing defense over the first three quarters, and Geneva overcame some sloppy play of its own in the fourth quarter to prevail 48-35.
"Coach (Phil Ralston) designed a play for me to come off a screen to start the game," said Block, who scored 15 points to complement an equal number from classmate Scott Wendt. "I was hoping to start off that way."
"Every season starts out as an adventure," said Ralston.
Geneva (1-0) forced West Chicago (0-1) into 7 first-quarter turnovers; the Vikings were never threatened - despite first-half foul problems - as Wendt drained the fifth 3-pointer on the opening possession of the second quarter to give the squad a 20-7 lead.
"Tonight we showed we're going to play hard and that we're not going to give up," said Wendt, who scored the Vikings' first 7 points of the second quarter. "We're not the biggest team, the fastest or the strongest. But we're going to play our hardest."
Neither team received any points from their benches, and Geneva forward Brandon Beitzel extended the Vikings' lead to 26-13 moments before halftime. West Chicago scored the last 5 points of the quarter to close to within 26-18 at the half, but the Vikings' defense was once against the difference after the intermission.
The Wildcats were guilty of another 7 miscues in the quarter; the squad compounded its turnovers by missing 6 of its 7 attempts from the field.
Block added another dagger from beyond the arc in the quarter, and Geneva was in command with a 40-22 cushion after three quarters.
"Playing catch-up is tough," said West Chicago coach Kevin Baldus, who was making his debut at the varsity level. "(Geneva) did the same thing last year to us. We lost sight of what we were trying to do (offensively) after halftime. They totally confused us on the floor."
Geneva allowed West Chicago a mere 11 field goals for the game, and Baldus said the true difference was second-chance points.
"Forty-eight points (allowed) in a varsity basketball game is not that many," Baldus said. "But 18 of them came on second-chance points."
Chad Driscoll scored 11 points and Charles Jacques added 10 points to pace West Chicago.
"I play on the same team as (Jacques) in travel ball," said Wendt. "We kept him in check the whole game. I thought that was one of the keys, along with rebounding, making sure they didn't get second-chance points."