Potnick propels Buffalo Grove
Buffalo Grove coach Ryan O'Connor says he tries his best to reserve the word “amazing” for when it's really appropriate.
It was most definitely appropriate to describe what Bison guard Luke Potnick did in the second quarter of Friday's game against Elk Grove. Potnick scored 18 points in the second quarter and was 4-for-4 on 3-point attempts to help pace Buffalo Grove to an 89-64 Mid-Suburban East win.
“I just kind of sat back,” O'Connor said. “It was something to see. I was really happy to see him have a game like that, and a segment like that.”
Potnick finished with a game-high 28 points. 25 of those came in the first half to help Buffalo Grove build a 30-point halftime lead.
“It felt good,” Potnick said of his first-half shooting display. “Every shot I took felt like the right shot. I just wanted to keep my head up and play as a team.”
None of Potnick's shot attempts in the second quarter were forced. O'Connor said every shot he took came in the flow of Buffalo Grove's offense.
“Wherever the wave is, we'll ride the wave for as long as we can and as far as we can,” O'Connor said. “Sometimes other guys are the wave, but Luke was the wave at that particular point, and we rode him for a while. He did a great job.”
Potnick didn't start the game for the Bison (6-2, 2-1). He hadn't even set foot on the floor when the Bison jumped out on a 10-0 run to begin the game.
“I think it all started on the defensive end, quite honestly,” O'Connor said. “Sam Wacker was a big presence defensively. He blocked the first two possessions that they had, and I thought we gained a lot of confidence on the other end of the floor because of that.”
Jeff Zabrin (12 points), Dan Recht (11 points, 6 rebounds), Nick Prus (7 points), Rich Zirngibl (2 poitns, 4 assists), and Wacker (7 points, 5 rebounds) were the Buffalo Grove starters who began the game with the big run.
“It's awesome,” Potnick said of the run. “When we come out and put up 10 and zero, it gets the team going. Coming off the bench it feels good. It feels really good.”
Alex Fritz scored 10 points for the Bison as well.
John Lorenz, who had 22 points and 5 rebounds, led Elk Grove (3-5, 1-2). Devin Neill had 9 points while Zachary Solorio and Sean Gordon each had 8.
“They beat us in every facet of the game tonight,” Elk Grove coach Anthony Furman said. “It was never a game at any point. We have to address what we believe in and then stand for it when we play against good teams and good players.”