Marmion can't dig out of halftime hole

In the end, Tuesday night's result didn't feel as bad as it could have for Marmion's boys basketball team.

Plainfield Central beat the Cadets 68-55 in the second day at the 27th annual Waubonsie Valley Matt Laurich Christmas Classic, but Marmion's third quarter provided some sort of redemption.

“We actually played with energy for a little bit,” said senior Nick Scoliere, who took one charge in the first half and one in the second.

“Came out in the second half, put it all out on the line,” he said. “We said we weren't going to get embarrassed, and if we put that kind of effort out in the first half you don't really know what would have happened.”

In a game coached by former area high school stars Ryan Paradise (Marmion via Naperville Central) and Steve Lamberti (Plainfield Central via Streamwood), Lamberti's Wildcats naturally had something to do with the outcome.

The 6-foot-7 twin towers approach of Justin Scanlan and Andre Norris each scored 6 points in a first quarter Plainfield Central led 18-16.

Eddy Grahovec made his first three 3-point shots and added 2 free throws to keep the Cadets close in the first quarter, but in the second entered Plainfield Central's own long-range bomber. Zach Warner hit all four 3-pointers he took, leading the Wildcats to a 40-26 halftime lead.

“Now we know kind of how it feels when Eddy dominates the other team,” said Marmion's Mark Berdelle, who finished with 18 points to Grahovec's game-high 22.

Lamberti said, “Andre and Justin are talented young men. Obviously they got hot early and Zach Warner came in off the bench and really spread them out a little bit. Any time you can spread out a defense we feel like we're in good shape with two 6-7 kids that can score inside.”

Marmion (5-5) made things more difficult in the third quarter. The Cadets forced 6 turnovers and Berdelle and Grahovec combined for all their team's points to get Marmion within 48-42 entering the fourth quarter.

Scanlan got busy again after two silent quarters, and senior Derrick Marks repeatedly went to the foul line to rebuild a big Plainfield Central lead in the fourth quarter.

Still, Paradise took encouragement from the situation.

“We talked at halftime about our response and playing with more passion and energy and we did that for a half, but that's not enough,” the first-year head coach said. “Having said that, I was very proud of our effort in the second half and our guys not quitting.”