N. Chicago takes Grayslake N.'s best shot

After scoring 27 points in a regional play-in victory on Monday, what could Grayslake North senior point guard Matt Pucher do for an encore?

How about swish a half-court shot just before the buzzer sounded to end the second quarter Tuesday?

"I didn't even know how much time was left," Pucher said.

Pucher's shot cut the Knights' halftime deficit to 11 points, but that was as close as the they would get. North Chicago thrilled its home crowd by dominating the third quarter on its way to a 96-63 victory.

North Chicago (18-7), the No. 1 seed, will play for the Class 3A regional title Friday night against the winner of tonight's matchup between Grayslake Central and Vernon Hills.

The Warhawks strung together a 17-2 run to start the second half.

"I thought (Pucher's shot) would give us momentum, but we had some turnovers that made it real easy for them," Grayslake North coach Todd Grunloh said.

North Chicago switched to a 2-3 zone for most of the second half.

"Their zone threw us off and changed the tempo of the game," Grunloh said. "It looked like they had six players out there."

Added Grayslake North's Michael Verwijst: "They didn't miss many shots."

North Chicago senior Demetrius Starks was unstoppable, pouring in a game-high 31 points. The Warhawks hit eight 3-pointers and had five players score in double figures.

Pucher (20 points), junior Teddy Ludwick (17 points) and senior Ross Sauer (10 points) shouldered the bulk of the scoring load for the Knights. Pucher (4) and Ludwick (3) combined to make seven 3-pointers.

In the first half, Grayslake North did a much better job of moving the ball and working it for the open shot.

"When we were patient and made the (extra) pass, we were able to get some layups," Grunloh said.

Grayslake North finished the season with a 14-14 record.

"We wanted to win at least one more game, but we blew some games earlier in the year," Pucher said. "We still had our best (overall) record."