Glenbard East defeats Oswego E., halts sectional semifinal jinx

It's been a long time since Glenbard East has gone this far.

The Rams on Tuesday night won a sectional semifinal for the first time since 1964, defeating Oswego East 70-62 at Neuqua Valley.

"We knew Mike (Capocci's) group, they lost three times on that Tuesday-Wednesday night, three straight years, and we didn't want to be another statistic on there for Glenbard East basketball," junior guard Zach Miller said, referring to the 2005, 2006 and 2007 teams. "We wanted to get to Friday."

Miller said Capocci and crew had texted him and the other current Rams. The message was simple: "Get them down," referring to the state Final Four in Peoria.

"They just keep telling me, get it down there, finish what they couldn't. That's what we're trying to do."

Next up the Rams return to Naperville on Friday night to meet Benet or East Aurora in the Class 4A sectional final.

The Rams won Tuesday without playing their best game. They missed a few easy baskets and got in a little foul trouble, but they didn't wilt under the pressure.

Top-seeded Glenbard East (27-1) took a 21-15 lead after the first quarter, but an Austin Keys buzzer-beater gave No. 5 Oswego East (23-5) enough momentum to score the first 8 points of the second quarter. The Rams bounced back, and the teams went into halftime tied at 32.

"We were a little tentative in the first half," Rams coach Scott Miller said. "We weren't as aggressive on the glass as we needed to be. We weren't as aggressive on our shots."

They got more aggressive in the third quarter, going up as many as 9 points and finishing the period leading 45-38. Oswego East point guard Jay Harris scored just 2 points in the third quarter, though he finished with a game-best 30.

"I thought the third quarter we did a good job on (Harris) when we were able to stretch it," Scott Miller said. "I thought that was the key."

In fact the Rams held Harris scoreless for more than 10 minutes spanning the third and fourth quarters, a streak ending with 3:15 left to play when Harris' basket brought the Wolves within 11 points.

"We just tried to change up our defense as best we could, and we feel that Jack (Merrithey), Zach and Johnny (Hill) are pretty good perimeter defenders," Scott Miller said. "We threw some different guys at him at different times. He's a great player, so we tried doing some things to slow him down a little bit."

Meanwhile, Glenbard East was playing without its leading scorer. Hill picked up his fourth foul late in the third quarter with the Rams leading by 7 points. They pushed the lead to 13 without Hill, who returned with 2:54 to go and the Wolves within 9.

"Johnny kind of grew up a little bit playing with four fouls," Scott Miller said. "Hopefully, we don't get some of those silly ones Friday night."

Devin Parks gave the Rams a boost off the bench, scoring all of his 6 points in that stretch.

"He played huge," Zach Miller said of Parks.

Hill finished with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Merrithey hit five 3-pointers and scored 18.

"It was about time," said Merrithey, who also advanced in the 3-point contest before the game. "I've been struggling a little bit with that shot. So maybe it will come around at a good time of the year. I was just feeling it. My teammates did a great job finding me."

Lee Skinner added 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Miller scored 10.

When the game came down to free throws at the end, the Wolves had to play to Glenbard East's strength. The Rams made 24 of 28 for the game, 14 of 16 in the fourth quarter.

"We knew our guys were going to fight," Wolves coach Jason Buckley said. "It was just a matter of whether or not we could keep it close enough to stay around and have a chance at the end. Unfortunately, it was just a big enough spread at the end that we couldn't get over that hump."

The Wolves never got closer than 7 points. Keys added 14 points to Harris' 30, and Wesley Brooks scored 13, including 7 key points midway through the fourth quarter to keep the game close.

"Pick your poison with those guys," Buckley said of the Rams. "They do a great job distributing the basketball and defending. I've got to think they're probably the front-runner to get down to Peoria and bring home some big-time hardware."

That would make some recent Glenbard East alumni especially proud.