WW South hits 3s, stifles Naperville North
It would be easy to look at the scorebook and say Wheaton Warrenville South won Friday's big DVC game because the Tigers dropped in 10 3-pointers.
But that would not be giving enough credit to a tremendous team defensive effort.
Wheaton Warrenville South coach Mike Healy loved seeing his team outscore visiting Naperville North 30-6 on shots from beyond the arc, but he also loved the fact that his team's defense contained the Huskies' potent attack enough to make those points deliver a 49-39 victory that leaves both teams at 2-1 in the conference.
"We went in hoping we'd get a run, shoot the ball and knock down a couple 3s," Healy said after his team erased a 29-24 deficit to start the fourth quarter. "We got that, but it would not have mattered if we hadn't played defense. Absolutely it's a big win. They're a tough team and they're tough to defend."
The Tigers found out just how hard the Huskies' Chris McGee can be to defend at times. The speedy guard busted out for 12 of his team-leading 14 points in the second quarter as the visitors rallied from a 17-7 deficit to take a 22-20 lead at the break. McGee dropped in a pair of 3s and added three other baskets, two of which featured his lightning-quick charges to the basket.
"We scouted him and didn't see him shoot the ball like that, but we saw him go by a lot of people," said Healy, whose defense focused on McGee and the perimeter more in the second half while still not allowing the taller Huskies to beat them inside often.
Huskies coach Jeff Powers was well aware of the Tigers' outside weapons but had hoped his team would have had a larger lead before the likes of Reilly O'Toole, Will Dolatowski and Greg McAndrew could beat them by each connecting on a trio of 3s.
"To me it looked like we missed a lot of shots inside," Powers said. "We were jamming the ball inside and not finishing and we weren't getting to the free-throw line, so we weren't doing something right. It was a big game and this is disappointing."
WW South made 11 of 18 foul shots, while Naperville North was 3 of 6. McAndrew not only had the three long-range baskets, but he played a key role in helping stifle McGee after the big second quarter.
O'Toole, meanwhile, didn't score a point for 2 1/2 quarters but still led the way with 15, including 6 straight free throws late to ice the victory.
"We rely on 3-pointers a lot because we're not too big," said McAndrew, whose final basket gave the Tigers a 41-33 lead with 2:06 left to play. "We knew we had to get a big win here. If we want to make a DVC run we have to beat the best teams, and they're one of the best in the conference."