Boys basketball: Newcomers help Naperville North shoot past Naperville Central
Junior Miles Okyne and several of his Naperville North teammates are knew to this whole varsity basketball thing, but you wouldn’t know it from the way they played in Friday’s crosstown battle with rival Naperville Central.
Okyne, a 6-foot-3guard/forward, stepped up big with a team-high 16 points as the host Huskies held off the Redhawks 74-63 for their first DuPage Valley Conference win in this young season. One of five players to score in double figures in the game, Okyne had a pair of 3-pointers as North built a 40-33 lead at the half, then added a couple key baskets in the third quarter and two free throws late to help hold off the Redhawks (3-5, 0-2).
“Our game plans was really to just play as a team. Move the ball around, try and just find the open man and get the best shot. I feel like we did that pretty well. We had to execute and do what we do,” said Okyne.
Fellow varsity newcomer Will Harvey started fast on Friday, connecting on four shots in a fast-paced first quarter that ended with Central on top 20-19. Harvey would finish with 13 points, 7 rebounds and a pair of steals, catching the eye of Huskies coach Gene Nolan, whose team improved to 5-2 overall and 1-1 in the DVC.
“Will’s scoring early and rebounding early helped open up the floor a little bit for our other players,” Nolan said. “It’s not just what he was doing, it was also the multiplier effect of what he was doing for other players. He was very good tonight.”
But he was not alone, as Max Steele — the lone starter this season who saw varsity minutes last season — added 11 points, Jack Zitko 13 points and Carson Loughlin 12.
“The balance, I think floor balance and player balance always is important,” Nolan added. “Naperville Central is a very good team. Well coached and those kids fought. Those kids are tough and credit to them. We feel fortunate to have won.”
The Redhawks had a trio of players score in double figures including Daniel Nussbaum who came off the bench to rally his team with 16 points and five 3-pointers. Back-to-back 3s from Nussbaum cut the Huskies lead from 52-39 to 52-45 with 1:10 left to play in the third quarter just as the Huskies appeared to be taking control of the game.
Nussbaum was back at it in the final quarter with a 3 that closed the gap to 58-52 at one point and another long range basket that pulled Central to within 60-57.
Alex Liabo also tallied 16 points for he Redhawks and Evan Harris had 14, but the Huskies’ balance proved to be just a little much to overcome on this night.
“Miles has been really good. He can handle the ball, finish at the rim a little bit. Pass when help is drawn, so he’s been good,” Nolan said. “For all of our guys, other than Max, everybody is new. So, to play in an atmosphere like tonight is a big step.
“Last year Jack Zitko was on our freshman team and a lot of our other kids were on our sophomore team. Rizwan Zubair, who played in the first half and got us 5 points, and Ashton Hartmann, have just been terrific as senior leaders. A lot of the contributions tonight are things that aren’t seen tonight, but at practice every week by our players.”
Girls game:
The final seconds of the girls DVC game had plenty of drama and it extended beyond the final horn, as the final shot twirled around the rim before deciding the outcome.
With the score tied 42-42, the Redhawks stole the inbounds pass from the Huskies with 5.8 seconds left to play and eventually got the ball to Erin Hackett at the top of the key. Hackett, who had been limited to 4 points through three quarters, unleashed what proved to be one of her more memorable shots just prior to the buzzer.
As players and fans on both sides watched with anticipation, the ball eventually spun around and in for a game-winning 3-pointer that lifted the Redhawks (5-6, 1-1) to a third straight victory, 45-42.
“Shoot it and hope for the best,” Hackett replied when asked about the final seconds of the game. “That’s not my first [buzzer-beater] but it’s definitely the most important one. It’s nice to get our first conference win and it’s definitely going to give us a boost of confidence.”
The game went back and forth as the Huskies’ Natalie Frempong and the Redhawks’ Annabelle Kritzer exchanged basket after basket. The speedy Frempong led all scorers with 25 points, while Kritzer had 20 points and 11 rebounds.
The Huskies led 42-35 following a driving basket by Frempong with 3:35 left to play. But the visitors countered with a pair of free throws and then the first of Hackett’s clutch 3s late to set the stage for the wild finish.
“It’s kind of fitting that Erin got the final shot in a bit of a scramble,” Central coach Andy Nussbaum said. “They know Erin can shoot and they were on her all night. We didn’t quit. We’ve gotten down in three of our wins and we could be more like 2-9. But 5-6, I like a lot more.”