Naperville North wears tourney crown at Waubonsie Valley

So many contributions from so many players.

With several players taking turns coming up big on offense and defense, Naperville North capped a 4-0 run at the Warrior Christmas Classic with a tight, 52-48 defeat of Plainfield Central in the championship game Saturday night at Waubonsie Valley.

Nine Huskies scored and only tourney MVP Joe McNicholas reached double figures as Naperville North (10-2) wore down a Wildcats team that had won a game at the Lemont tourney earlier in the day.

"We trust everyone on the team with the ball," said Naperville North center Matt Hasse, who had 9 points and 5 rebounds and helped contain the Wildcats strong inside attack. "We have a lot of guys who can put up 10, 15 points, so if someone's a little off, we have a lot of options."

On Saturday McNicholas hit on 5 of 7 shots to score 10 points in a low-scoring first half that ended with the score tied 22-22. McNicholas finished with a game-high 15 points, but several of his teammates made big play after big play in the second half as the Huskies held Plainfield Central to 22 fewer points than it had scored in defeating Glenbard North in the third round of the tourney.

Plainfield Central took a 33-30 lead into the final quarter and increased the margin after a pair of free throws from Derek Marks, but a three-point play from Hasse followed by two free throws from the Huskies center tied the score at 35 with 5:57 left to play.

Over the final six minutes Naperville North showcased its depth and its tough defense to hold off the Wildcats, who made things interesting after Jon Dubose hit a pair of 3s late. Matt LaCosse, who made the all-tourney team despite not starting, had 5 points and a key blocked shot in the fourth quarter, and first-time starter Chris McGee sank 5 free throws in the final quarter to help seal the victory.

"Everyone stepped up well," said McNicholas, one of four Huskies to block a shot in the game. "We did a good job inside and we did a good job crashing the boards."

The Wildcats' Winston Williams and Justin Scanlan each were named to the all-tourney team, but the forwards combined for just 14 points in the title game.

"We just didn't have the energy in the fourth quarter that we needed," Plainfield Central coach Steve Lamberti said. "They're a real solid defense and they make you make adjustments. We played with pride tonight we just didn't have the overall intensity we needed in the fourth quarter."

James O'Shaughnessy converted a steal into a third-quarter dunk for Naperville North and also had 3 assists and 2 blocked shots, making an impact while scoring just 3 points in the game. Jovonn Griffin, who had just one field goal and 5 points, picked a great time for his lone basket, a slashing drive to the hole that put Naperville North on top 45-39 with 1:32 left to play.

It was the second tournament championship of the season for the Huskies, who won the Hoops for Healing Tournament in November.