Glenbard East clinches DVC crown

Glenbard East was ripe for an upset, and Glenbard North almost made it happen.

Instead the Rams clinched the DuPage Valley Conference championship with a 60-59 victory Friday night in Lombard.

"It feels really good," Rams coach Scott Miller said. "You've got to tip your hat to Glenbard North. They played a heck of a game. They took it to us, and I think in the long run these games help you down the stretch."

The Rams (21-1, 11-0) - the top seed in the Class 4A Neuqua Valley sectional when the postseason starts March 1 - had to win this one down the stretch. The game featured 12 ties and 15 lead changes, with the Rams scoring the game's final points on point guard Zach Miller's 2 free throws with 1:04 to play.

"I thought our guys played real well," Panthers coach Joe Larson said. "They fought hard, showed a lot of pride. Our effort, I thought, was outstanding. They just made one more play than we did."

The Panthers (11-10, 5-6) milked the clock, setting up a final shot for guard James Fleming, but the Rams forced Fleming into an off-balance shot, and Rams guard Devin Parks wrestled away the rebound on the floor as time expired.

"I thought they would be a little more aggressive and come after us, make us make a play," Zach Miller said. "Jack played good 'D' and I was able to step over and force James into a tough shot. Devin Parks and (Shawn) Havenga went up and got that ball. It was up there for grabs, and Devin went up and got it. It was all over from there."

"It was tough, a tough ball," Panthers junior Brandon Clark said. "We both played great, I give it up to them. They made the last shot, we didn't, that's what it comes down to. We missed a couple of free throws, they hit them. That's pretty much how it went."

There was little doubt who the Panthers wanted to have the ball as time wound down. Fleming, who averages 20.2 points a game, scored 21 to lead the Panthers. Brandon Clark added 14 points and 11 hard-fought rebounds, and Mike Carev added 11 points and 5 assists.

"To be in a game like that against a team like that, you have to have everybody play well," Larson said, "and we did. We just came up short."

Johnny Hill scored a game-high 23 points despite battling leg cramps in the final minutes. Lee Skinner added 12 points before fouling out with 3:24 to play, and Zach Miller totaled 10 points in the conference clincher.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," Zach Miller said, "but this is what we've been working for since summer and everything. It feels good."