Cross-town rivalry game goes to Wheaton North

Wheaton North's Nick Jordan saw an opportunity and took advantage of some Wheaton Warrenville South defensive lapses down the middle of the lane.

Jordan scored 10 of his game-high 22 points on drives to the basket, including three in the second quarter when the Falcons chipped away at an early Tigers lead.

Eventually, Wheaton North pulled away and earned a 71-59 victory over its cross-town rivals in front of a packed Wheaton North gym Friday night, giving the Falcons their first DuPage Valley Conference win of the season.

"We've got such great shooters, so I had opportunities to drive (to the basket)," Jordan said. "We've got guys like (Nick) Traversa, Rowan (McGovern), Luke Anthony, who knock down shots, which open the lanes for me to drive."

Wheaton Warrenville South (3-2, 0-1), however, was the first to answer. The Tigers jumped out to a 9-2 lead after Joe Metzger assisted on a 3-pointer by Matt Dacy-Seijo midway through the first quarter.

Jordan helped the Falcons find their way back with a layup before the first-quarter buzzer, then a crossover and drive at the start of the second quarter that tied the game 13-13.

"We talked about having poise tonight," Wheaton North coach Dave Brackmann said. "We knew it was going to be a raucous crowd and we knew it wasn't going to go perfectly. We fell down 9-2 but took a deep breath and righted the ship by chipping away and then taking control at the end."

A jumper by Traversa gave Wheaton North its first lead at 17-16, and it held a 26-24 halftime advantage before McGovern helped put some distance between the Falcons and their cross-town counterparts.

McGovern scored all 19 of his points in the second half, including three straight third-quarter 3-pointers that turned a three-point lead into a nine-point lead.

"Rowan (McGovern) is a sophomore that has a really bright future and a really bright present," Brackmann said. "He has stepped up in these first three games and has not played like he's inexperienced. He's a great shooter that also plays an all-around game."

The Tigers got as close as five points on three separate occasions in the fourth quarter, but each time the Falcons extended the lead, once on a post move by Jordan, followed by a rebound putback by McGowen, followed by Jordan's fifth and final layup of the night.

"We can't give up 71 points," Wheaton Warrenville South coach Mike Healy said. "We just didn't play real well defensively. We looked slow defensively in a lot of possessions. Wheaton North is very good. They've got a lot of weapons, but you always say there are things you can control and things you can't control. We can't control that, I think, (Wheaton North) is really good, but I thought there were some things we could have done a better job at defensively."