Glenbard East runs win streak to 9 games
With every game, Glenbard East's boys basketball team is appreciating its winning streak more and more.
The Rams made it nine in a row the hard way Saturday night, topping York 69-59 at the Downers Grove North Winter Classic shootout.
The winning streak, which dates back to Dec. 18, included handing Neuqua Valley its lone loss and continued with Friday's win over West Aurora to end the Blackhawks' five-game winning streak.
Saturday's challenge offered something a little different. Standout York junior guard Will Sullivan scored 22 first-half points as the Dukes (10-6) ripped out to a 37-31 halftime lead.
The Rams (15-1), however, made a defensive adjustment at halftime by putting senior guard Jack Merrithey on Sullivan. Holding Sullivan scoreless in the third quarter, Glenbard East took control.
Glenbard East scored the first 10 points of the second half to take the lead for good. The momentum continued into the fourth quarter as the Rams consistently held a double-digit lead.
"I did my best on (Sullivan) and tried not to let him touch the ball," Merrithey said. "This is a big stretch of games for us. We're always up for a challenge, and we're always ready for them."
Sullivan was unstoppable in the first half, connecting on 8 of his 10 shots from the field and 3 of 4 free-throw attempts. He finished with 31 points.
No one else reached double-figure scoring for the Dukes.
"We had opportunities, when they extended their guards, to take the ball hard to the basket, and I just thought we played way too soft in the third quarter," said York coach Al Biancalana. "It's something we've tried to address all season long. When teams turn up the intensity we're not as aggressive."
Glenbard East's lineup had its typical balance. Johnny Hill scored 18 points, Zach Miller and Lee Skinner tallied 17 points and Devin Parks scored 9 points off the bench.
"We felt like we took their best shot in the first half," Skinner said. "We knew this was going to be a big test for us, but we love games like this."
Downers Grove South 58, Wheaton Warrenville South 53: As well as WW South shot the ball, the Tigers still needed to slow down Downers South's offense.
Easier said than done.
The Mustangs (9-7) broke WW South's six game winning streak with a 58-53 victory in Saturday's Winter Classic shootout at Downers Grove North.
First-year Mustangs coach Jay Baum was especially proud that his team received scoring from nine of the 10 players who saw time on the court.
"It shows some depth on our team, and some balance," Baum said. "A lot of guys accepting their roles."
The biggest lead for either team was 7 points, but WW South (12-4) erased that third-quarter deficit in less than a minute. The Tigers showed plenty of explosiveness by knocking down 10 3-pointers, but only one came in the fourth quarter.
Downers South took advantage of the dry spell to maintain its minimal lead. Mark Bentley scored on consecutive possessions to put the Mustangs ahead 56-51 in the final minute. A pair of free throws by John Dillon in the waning seconds sealed the win.
"We just couldn't get stops," said Tigers coach Mike Healy. "We were pretty bad defensively. They've got a lot of weapons. Hopefully, our guys understand that if you're going to go against a team like Downers Grove South, you need to step it up a notch."
Will Dolatowski and Reilly O'Toole, who combined for seven 3-pointers, each scored 13 points for WW South. Travis Kern scored 12 points and Jason Schuman had 11.
Bledi Dervishi led Downers South with 14 points. Sophomore Otis Wilbut scored 13 points and fellow sophomore Jamall Millison added 9 points.
"This was a pretty good team, and we haven't played as well as we should against better competition," Dervishi said. "To get this win against a team that was pretty good was very important."
Wheaton North 56, Downers Grove North 54: Richard Finley's 3-pointer with 45 seconds left put the Falcons (7-9) ahead for good at 53-51.
Twice Downers North (5-11) pulled within a point, but missed free throws kept the Trojans from tying the game. They made only 11 of 24 attempts from the line.
Finley scored 15 points for the Falcons and Mike Small had 14 points. The Trojans' Ross Johnson scored 8 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.
Glenbard North 61, Hinsdale Central 50: James Fleming led the Panthers (7-8) with 20 points while Anthony Keener scored 11 points and Reggie Davis had 10 points. Chris Bobo led all scorers with 22 points for Hinsdale Central (4-9).
Hinsdale South 61, West Chicago 56: The Hornets (10-3), who enjoyed four double-digit scorers, made 22 of 32 free-throw attempts against the Wildcats (2-15). Lavonte Brown scored 13 points, Joe Petrak had 12 points and Phil George and Brock Benson each had 10 points. The Wildcats were paced by Chad Driscoll's 21 points and Charles Jacques' 18.
Proviso East 55, Waubonsie Valley 51: Ryan Lippman's five 3-pointers and 20 points weren't enough for the Warriors (5-12) in their loss to the Pirates (10-3), who were led by Brenton Little's 19 points.