Boys basketball: Trivellini, Crystal Lake South storm back for FVC win over Huntley

In the second quarter, Crystal Lake South fought back.

In the third quarter, the Gators took over.

Behind standout guard Carson Trivellini, who scored a game-high 24 points, Crystal Lake South erased a double-digit deficit and rallied to take down Huntley 62-44 in a key Fox Valley Conference matchup Friday evening. Leaning on their zone defense, the Gators held Huntley to just 13 points over the second and third quarters.

“My teammates spread the floor and they were getting me open looks,” said Trivellini, who added three assists in the win. “We were a little rushed in the first half, but once we started to get into our plays and everybody got a feel for the ball. ... I think we have the best five in the conference. I don’t know if anyone can stop us.”

Huntley (8-16, 5-7 FVC) appeared primed for the upset in the first quarter. Senior guard Aidan Gibbs caught fire from the corner, where he drilled a trio of 3-point shots for nine of his 11 points in the quarter. On the interior, lengthy 6-foot-5 forward Isaiah Onu slammed home a dunk and finished multiple layups at the rim.

“We had a really good practice yesterday going against their 1-3-1 zone,” Gibbs said. “We were really prepared for that game and that was what allowed us to have a hot start like that. ... We knew who we were guarding and we had a good scout. We knew what certain players were doing and having all five guys involved really helped.”

The Raiders, who forced South (17-7, 9-3 FVC) into multiple turnovers early in the game, held a 20-8 lead going into the second quarter. But an 11-2 run, sparked by Trivellini, allowed the Gators to bring Huntley within three points at the half. The junior guard, who converted a nifty spinning layup to start the game, ignited the run with a coast-to-coast basket in transition.

“It all about effort,” Trivellini said. “If you want to play the 1-3-1, you have to fly around and play good defense. Early on, we had a lack of focus and effort. If we can bring effort every game, then we’ll be a tough team to beat. We have a lot of long, athletic guys and I think that, if we can be disciplined, we can be really good.”

A putback shot at the buzzer by 6-foot-6 sophomore Ryan Morgan brought South within three points, 27-24, at the half. Exerting their size in the third quarter, the Gators went on a 9-0 run, and junior guard Nick Stowasser, who had 13 points, drained a triple from the corner to give South a 33-32 lead.

“We were down three and our coach really wanted us to move the ball,” said Morgan, who had 10 points and seven rebounds. “I think offensive rebounds won us the game. If we want to run, then we need to rebound the ball. We had a size advantage and I thought we took advantage. In the first quarter, we were stagnant.”

After South switched zones in the first half, Huntley struggled to knock down the same perimeter shots it nailed in the opening quarter. With the Gators controlling the glass in the second half, the Raiders went one and out on most possessions and South turned second chances into points. The Gators, who out-rebounded Huntley 22-13, led 43-33 after three quarters.

“We had energy in the first, but it went stagnant after halftime,” Onu said. “They were coming back and we were getting worried.”

Locked in on defense and moving fluidly on offense, the Gators expanded their lead in the fourth quarter. Trivellini knocked down a tough turnaround jumper from the mid-range, while both Stowasser and 6-foot-7 forward Noah Cook hammered home dunks to ignite the large home crowd. Cook had six points and four rebounds for Crystal Lake South, which improved to 11-1 in its last 12 games.

Gibbs, who hit two fourth-quarter triples, led the Red Raiders with 19 points. Onu recorded 16 points and six rebounds for Huntley.