Speedy Grayslake C. tops Hampshire
The Grayslake Central boys basketball team was outsized at four of five starting positions in a Fox Valley Conference Fox Division showdown at Hampshire Friday, but the Rams used their inherent team speed to derail the surging Whip-Purs 53-43 and complete the season sweep.
Though only 6-foot-9 center Casey Boyle enjoyed a height advantage among starters, a 9-0 second-quarter run allowed Grayslake Central (11-5, 3-0) to gain an 8-point lead.
The Rams never let Hampshire (8-8, 1-2) draw closer than 4 points the rest of the Fox Valley Conference game, largely because they repeatedly beat the Whip-Purs downcourt on counterattacks after missed and made shots alike.
“That’s one of our strengths,” Grayslake Central coach Brian Moe said of the transition game. “We’ve got Casey and the midgets on the floor, so our midgets need to run the floor and get out there. We got in transition and that was a key for our offense.”
Vertically challenged third-year guard Jordan Taylor stands only 5-7, but he was the game’s biggest player. The senior tied his season high of 27 points, buoyed by 4 layups on second-half run outs.
“They had a lot of breakaways,” Hampshire coach Bob Barnett said after his team’s 6-game winning streak came to an end. “(Taylor) was basket hanging. We don’t have anybody quick enough to stay with him. They had a lot of breakouts, especially late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter. I think he had 3 in a row. He’s good. He had 27 of their 53.
“And when we go 3 for 15 from (3-point range) and 4-for-10 from the line, you’re not going to win too many games.”
Hampshire earned its share of good looks at the basket, but the home rims were unkind. The Whip-Purs shot 18 of 51 (35 percent).
“We didn’t make any shots,” said Hampshire junior Shane Hernandez, who scored 11 points to support Tyler Watzlawick’s team-high 14. “We were like 1 for 8 in the first half (from 3-point range). We figured we can’t shoot that bad in the second half, so we were hoping for the better. We got plenty of looks; it’s just a matter of getting them to fall.”
The Whips sank 2 of 4 attempts from 3-point range in the second half, including a 3-pointer by Brock Ralphs at the end of the third quarter. The senior guard’s third straight basket drew Hampshire within 37-33 and gave the Whips hope heading to the final period.
However, Grayslake Central’s Danny Reed opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer. Two minutes later, Taylor broke free for another layup, forcing Hampshire to call timeout trailing 44-34.
The Whips drew within 46-41 on Tyler Crater’s 3-pointer, but a breakaway by Taylor — who else? — via a baseball-style inbounds pass resulted in a layup and old-fashioned three-point play, which all but sealed the win.
“We were just trying to push it every time and keep some pressure on them,” Taylor said. “Also, after we beat them at home (64-53 on Dec. 9), they said in one of the papers it was a fluke. It wasn’t a fluke to me. I just went out there and played hard. It was a little sloppy at first, but we pulled it together.”
The win keeps the Rams a half-game ahead of both Grayslake North (2-0) and defending champion Crystal Lake Central (2-1) in the FVC Fox Division.
“That’s a great win for us,” Moe said. “Hampshire did a great job of mixing it up on us and taking us out of what we do. We got lucky. We came out and made a few more plays and got a good win.
“We’ve got a tough one next Wednesday coming home for Crystal Lake Central, so it’ll be a big one. Hopefully, we can keep things rolling.”