Glenbard East's 3s sink West Aurora
Trying to trade 3-pointers with Glenbard East is a tough deal to win.
West Aurora watched the Rams sink 10 Friday night. They came at key times, first erasing the Blackhawks' fast start and then creating the separation the Rams needed to pull away to a 61-53 victory.
The win gives Glenbard East (14-1, 6-0) sole possession of first place in the DuPage Valley Conference.
“We can shoot the 3, we can slash to the basket,” Glenbard East coach Scott Miller said. “I would have liked to have got to the free-throw line a little bit more, but to West Aurora's credit it didn't happen. We knew they were 5-0 and we're 5-0 and playing at their place is always tough. I'm proud of how our kids handled then environment and at both ends of the court kept their composure.”
Like Glenbard East, West Aurora (8-5, 5-1) finished just 5 of 8 at the free-throw line. That left both teams relying on their outside shots. While the Blackhawks made 5 from beyond the arc, the Rams' Johnny Hill drained four 3-pointers and Zach Miller 3 while Kevin Priebe, Dante Bailey and Tyree York all chipped in 1.
Hill's back-to-back 3-pointers in the second quarter gave Glenbard East a 22-20 lead after West Aurora went up 14-9 after the first quarter. Hill scored 12 of his game-high 24 points in the second quarter as the Rams grabbed a 31-27 halftime lead they never relinquished in the second half.
“We answered back,” Hill said. “Guys stepped up, the role guys stepped up.”
Glenbard East extended its lead to 9 points three times in the third quarter. Juwan Starks kept the Blackhawks close with 15 second-half points. Marcel Neil's 3-pointer to end the third quarter sliced the Rams' lead to 46-42.
A 3-pointer by Brandon Hayes brought West Aurora within 51-48 with five minutes remaining. Again a 3-pointer by Miller pushed the lead back to 56-48, enough of a cushion to survive a pair of missed 1-and-1s in the final minute.
“We need to get some things straight as far as free throws,” said Hill, who was icing his right knee afterward. He said tendinitis flared up in the knee.
After hitting 5 of 8 shots in the third quarter the Blackhawks made just 4 of 13 in the fourth.
“I think we got a little gassed,” Starks said. “We turned the ball over too much. I think a lot of our guys were panicking. This was a real big game for a lot of our younger guys. They have never played in this atmosphere before.”
Led by the NIU-bound Zach Miller, for Glenbard East's backcourt handled West Aurora's pressure. The Rams only turned the ball over 11 times while West Aurora had 18. Steve Kinney, York and Miller all added 9 points for the Rams.
Miller only scored 3 points through three quarters. He finished with 7 assists.
“I think that's what makes him a great point guard. He doesn't feel like he has to take over the game and certainly tries to get other guys involved,” Scott Miller said.
“He's an excellent passer,” West Aurora coach Gordie Kerkman said. “He sees the floor very well.”
Starks scored 23 points and Hayes 12 to lead the Blackhawks. Senior center Kyle Pilmer provided a bright spot with 12 rebounds.
“That's the best game he's had this year from the standpoint of consistency,” Kerkman said.