Hersey beats Buffalo Grove in postseason preview

Hersey and Buffalo Grove may be out of surprises for each other, but they’re not out of games against each other.

Even after Friday night’s Mid-Suburban East-ending 57-48 Hersey win at BG, the teams will meet again Feb. 28, in a Class 4A Stevenson regional quarterfinal.

If Hersey clamps down on defense all game long as it did in the second half, the only surprise might be a wider final margin. Hersey (11-13, 6-4), trailing most of the night, allowed just 16 second-half points, 6-of-20 shooting, didn’t let BG get to the free-throw line and closed out on its usually deadeye perimeter shooters.

Can the Huskies do it again on Feb. 28?

“We have to keep up the intensity,” said senior and team defensive commander Vuk Vukovic. Despite foul trouble, he helped bother BG’s Alex Fritz (11 points) and Luke Potnick (12) on the perimeter. And even though Hersey had virtually no answer for BG’s 6-foot-7 Sam Wacker (16 points, 9 blocked shots), the Huskies crashed the boards in waves against the otherwise shorter Bison.

Putbacks and free throws generated by offensive rebounds came from all over, including unsung Justin Jobski, Stefan Vucicevic and Quinn Orlandi, as did key perimeter shooting from Sean Reszotko (12 points), Trevor Haas and Kevin Kozil.

“We have confidence in everybody,” Vukovic said.

“We shared the ball really well,” said Hersey coach Steve Messer, who recognized the defensive improvement in the second half. “We rotated better. We hung tough. We finally knocked down some shots.”

And some Bison in a fiercely physical game. BG (10-15, 3-7) was virtually carried by Wacker most of the way and led 38-37 after three butt even he couldn’t bail them out.

“We need to do a better job of executing, at both ends,” said BG coach Ryan O’Connor.

But after Fritz, Potnick and Wacker got BG off to a fast start, foul trouble and Hersey’s improved defensive play proved too much.

“We have to play like a team.” Vukovic said. “Everyone just has trust in each other.”