Cougars prevail as Wandro bids farewell to Conant

A slow start. A fast finish. And a final farewell.

It was all part of the scenario Tuesday night at Conant as the Cougars rallied for a 52-41 Mid-Suburban West boys basketball win over Hoffman Estates.

But the game had its share of milestones and milestone performances. For Hoffman coach Bill Wandro, retiring after this season, it was his last visit into a gym with many memories against longtime friendly foe Tom McCormack. The occasion was marked by a brief presentation to honor Wandro before the game.

Then he watched his team ride the play of Eric Saubert inside and Austin Terry (team-high 8 points apiece) everywhere else as the Hawks raced to a 14-7 lead after one quarter, powering past Conant on the boards.

And then Saubert and Terry sat in foul trouble and Conant dispatched Sean Bourke (10 points) and George Pessimisis (5) into the game, and things turned quickly in the Cougars' favor.

"They were probably our two best players tonight," said McCormack, whose reserves outscored Hoffman's 20-5. "They gave us a spark off the bench."

"Bourke has been real great for us," said Cougars high scorer London Dokubo (14 points), recognizing the teammates in good part responsible for him being the beneficiary of many of the offensive opportunities created by the defensive pressure. "George (Pessimisis) has been coming off the bench with great intensity."

While Hoffman Estates maintained its superiority on the boards, it failed to handle Conant's stepped-up defensive pressure. Denying passes and overplaying in their man-to-man enabled the Cougars (6-1, 2-0) to force 11 turnovers out of the Hawks in the second half while yielding just 5 baskets and 13 points. Saubert and Terry, still in foul trouble, never were able to rally the Hawks (1-5, 0-2).

"We have to learn to play without them," when necessary, said Wandro.

"They hammered us on the boards," said McCormack. "They were very ready to play in the first half."

"We talked about their physicality," at halftime, said Dokubo, and came out and did something about it by applying strict, nonstop ball pressure.

"We're getting a little better," said Wandro. "We're just not very patient."

Hoffman committed 25 turnovers one fewer than the number of years Wandro and McCormack have known and coached against each other.