Stevenson wears down stubborn Wauconda

The Stevenson boys basketball team came into Friday's night's home game against Wauconda still smarting from the way it ended the 2009 portion of the season.

The Patriots lost their final three games at the Wheeling Wildcat Hardwood Classic.

And for longer than anticipated, it appeared the Patriots might be on their way to dropping their fourth consecutive game.

For the first three quarters, Wauconda played its best basketball of the season, but Stevenson found its form in time to dominate the fourth quarter for a 58-44 victory.

"They played out of their minds early," Wauconda coach Scott Luetschwager said about his team. "They fed of each other's energy and intensity."

Wauconda (4-11) led 21-13 early in the second quarter. Stevenson won the back half of the quarter and cut the deficit to 26-25 on a 3-point play by senior Nate Johnson just before the buzzer. Johnson's offensive rebound produced the first real roar from the Stevenson crowd.

"I knew I had to shoot it quickly," Johnson said. "That gave us some momentum for the second half."

Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose was not happy with the Patriots' performance in the first half. He conveyed that message loud and clear to his team.

"I was fired up and the kids were too," he said.

Added junior Kevin Earl: "He wanted us to play harder and more physical."

Wauconda went ahead 35-34 on a 3-pointer by Kyle Ryan with 1:47 left in the third quarter, but from there the Patriots took over the game. Johnson was particularly strong in the fourth quarter. He finished with a game-high 19 points and 9 rebounds.

"We wore down," Luetschwager said. "(Johnson) kept getting the ball in the middle of our defense and he carved us up."

Stevenson was playing without senior guard Jeff Levitt, who is battling a wrist injury and was physically under the weather.

In addition to Johnson, the Patriots received productive offensive games from Earl (14 points) and senior guard Mark Swanson (12 points).

"I was really happy with the way we responded in the second half," Ambrose said.

Ryan nailed four 3-pointers and scored a team-high 14 points. Senior Eric Hartnett had 10 points.

"Kyle doesn't force shots," Luetschwager said. "He has a knack for finding the right spot and shooting in rhythm."

Wauconda seemed to gain confidence with each possession.

"Stevenson is a big school, and I didn't know how long we would hang with them," Ryan said. "If we play like this, we can be an above-.500 team."

A nice takeaway indeed for the Bulldogs.