DuPage County and Fox Valley boys basketball notes: Glenbard North takes DuKane lead with double OT win; DVC, UEC also feature tight races
February is a time for groundhogs, valentines, and down-to-the-wire high school boys basketball conference races.
One of the area’s most competitive races is the DuKane, where four teams are battling for the top spot.
With two weeks remaining, Glenbard North (18-5, 8-2) and Wheaton Warrenville South (15-9, 7-3) broke a first-place tie during the Panthers’ 59-53 double-overtime triumph over the Tigers.
“For us to win a conference championship, we need to play at a high level every game no matter who we play,” said Tigers coach Mike Healy. “The conference is as balanced and competitive as it has been since the league started (2018), which has been fun but also extremely challenging because you have to be at your best game in and game out or you will get beat.”
Geneva (19-4, 7-2), led by Gabe Jensen and Nathan Palmer, remains even in the loss column with the Panthers following Tuesday’s 53-44 victory over Lake Park, while hard-charging Batavia (16-8, 7-3) earned its 11th win in 12 games with Tuesday’s 64-52 home victory over St. Charles North (9-15, 3-6).
What will it take to win the DuKane?
“Take one game at a time and try to improve each night,” said Vikings coach Scott Hennig. “Every opponent presents new challenges.
“It’s a lot of fun – so many good teams, players, and coaches. It’s fun to watch and be a part of.”
Pivotal upcoming games include Geneva at Batavia (Friday); Glenbard North at Geneva (Feb. 11); and WW South at Batavia (Feb. 18).
Another 4-team race is heating up in the Upstate Eight West between West Aurora (15-11, 8-1), South Elgin (9-17, 8-1), Bartlett (8-18, 7-3), and East Aurora (10-13, 6-3).
Junior guard Travis Brown is a major contributor for the Blackhawks.
“We need to play to our strengths, continue to work on valuing the basketball, and defending with a purpose,” said Blackhawks coach Michael Fowler. “I like where we are positioned right now. We control our own path to a conference title.”
Strong interior play from Ilija Babic and Kyle Mann also have South Elgin in control of its conference destiny.
“I think it is shaping up to be an exciting ending,” said South Elgin coach Ryan Storm, whose team finishes with Bartlett (Friday), East Aurora (Feb. 11) and West Aurora (Feb. 13). “Bartlett has one of the best players in the area (Joey Cwik), and they are always locked in from a preparation standpoint. East Aurora plays with so much force and gives a lot of people issues.
“West Aurora is who we are all chasing as the defending champions, but it will take a collective effort to knock them off. With the reigning player of the year (Brown) and great pieces around him, they are a tough matchup for everybody.”
The Blackhawks defeated South Elgin, 72-42, on Dec. 9.
Bartlett needs victories over South Elgin and Larkin (Feb. 13), along with some help from UEC West foes, to gain a share of the title.
In the Upstate Eight East, Glenbard East (23-3, 9-1) slipped into a first-place tie with Riverside-Brookfield (19-5, 9-1) following the Bulldogs’ 69-64 home victory Tuesday night, snapping the Rams’ 11-game winning streak.
Led by senior guard Michael Nee, the Rams have remaining league games against Glenbard South (Friday) and Ridgewood (Feb. 13). R-B faces Fenton (Friday) and West Chicago (Feb. 11).
In the DuPage Valley, Neuqua Valley (24-1, 7-0) carries a 1-game lead over second-place Naperville North (19-6, 6-1) into this weekend’s action.
The Wildcats, led by juniors Mason Martin, Lucas Balgro, and sophomore Cole Kelly, have won 22 consecutive games since their 74-65 loss to Oswego East in November.
“The conference race is a difficult one as players on all teams are similar in talent,” said Neuqua coach Todd Sutton. “The coaching is such high quality that it is always difficult to win on any Friday night.
“The race is a marathon, as you need to avoid sickness and injuries to win the league. You also need to be lucky with a possible last-second shot to win a big game. We hope to get lucky.”
Seniors Miles Okyne and Max Steele have the Huskies in control of their own DVC destiny with remaining games against Metea Valley (Friday), Waubonsie Valley (Feb. 13), and Neuqua Valley (Feb. 18).
“We need to defend and rebound, get good shots on offense, and play together,” said Huskies coach Gene Nolan. “Neuqua is the clear favorite. They’re tough, well-coached, and execute at both ends of the floor very well.”
Neuqua won the first meeting, 58-54, on Jan. 9.
York (22-4, 8-1) finds itself tied in the loss column with Lyons Township (17-6, 7-1) following the Lions’ 56-49 victory Tuesday night behind 26 points, including a team-record eight 3-pointers, from junior Nate Woods.
“The WSC Silver is one of the top conferences in the state with competitive teams and Hall of Fame coaches which makes every game extremely challenging,” said York coach Mike Dunn. “The conference race will go down to the last game of the regular season.”
Dunn notes senior leadership from Hunter Stepanich, Jackson Rennick, and Costa Kampas as a key behind the Dukes’ success.
“As a team, we have rebounded the ball and defended well all season which has led to our success,” said the coach. “We will need to continue that trend moving forward in order to have that same success.”
York’s last 3 games are against Proviso West (Friday), Glenbard West (Feb. 13), and Downers Grove North (Feb 17).
The hopes of third-place Glenbard West (10-13, 6-2) rest with back-to-back showdowns against Lyons (Friday) and York (Feb. 13).
“We’re proud of where we are right now,” said Hilltoppers assistant JJ Lastovich. “We understand it’s not easy to get wins in this conference. York and Lyons are great teams. We lost to LT on the final possession (49-47 on Dec. 19) and in the final minute against York (53-49 on Jan. 16). We believe we put ourselves in a position to control our own destiny since we have rematches against both teams.”
With five games remaining, the Fox Valley features a 3-team race between Cary-Grove (22-3, 12-1), Burlington Central (15-8, 10-3), and Crystal Lake South (19-10, 10-3).
Led by AJ Berndt, the Trojans stretched their first-place lead to 2 games with Tuesday’s 56-51 road win against Huntley (8-17, 5-8).
“Consistency is key,” said Trojans coach Adam McCloud. “Every night, you are going to get someone’s best. There are no nights off in league play. We have senior leadership and hopes that the experience those guys have can lead us through tough moments and matchups.
“Our team has had great depth this year and terrific contributions from role players that complement our best players.”
Crucial upcoming matchups include Cary-Grove at Burlington Central (Friday), Crystal Lake South at Jacobs (Feb. 13), and Cary-Grove at McHenry (Feb. 17).
“Cary-Grove is clearly in the driver’s seat, so it’s not something we are thinking about,” said Gators coach Matt LePage, whose team is led by guards Nick Stowasser and Carson Trivellini. “We are just focused on the game in front of us and getting better as we get into the stretch run.
“A key to our success has been having four guys average double digits.”
Led by senior guard Marshawn Cocroft and junior forward Jeffrey Hassan, Kaneland (24-0, 6-0) owns a half-game advantage over rival Sycamore (18-4, 6-1) in the Interstate 8.
The Knights carry a 20-game conference winning streak – dating back to January of 2024 – into Saturday’s rematch with the Spartans in Maple Park. Kaneland won the first meeting last month, 65-56.
“We have some really good teams in the Interstate 8,” said Knights coach Ernie Colombe. “We focus on the next game and taking things one game at a time. There is a lot of basketball left in terms of the conference race.
“Every conference game is a battle so we will need to make sure our guys are focused and well-prepared for each game. At this point of the season, many players and teams are also facing some bumps, bruises, and nagging injuries. We try to make sure our players have fresh legs so we can perform at our best.”
Benet Academy (25-1, 5-0), led by seniors Jayden Wright and Colin Stack, owns a 1-game lead over St. Patrick (19-3, 4-1) and Marist (21-4, 3-1) in the rugged East Suburban Catholic with 3 games remaining.
The defending Class 4A state champion Redwings close out the regular season against Niles Notre Dame (Friday), Nazareth (Feb. 13), and Marist (Feb. 17).
Downers Grove South (19-5, 9-0) inched closer to the WSC Gold crown following Tuesday’s 89-74 victory over second-place Leyden (18-7, 7-2).
Junior guard Dimitri Letsos scored a game-high 26 points for the Mustangs, who finish the regular season against Proviso East (Feb. 13), Addison Trail (Feb. 14), and Hinsdale South (Feb. 17).
Hope Academy (18-6, 8-1) earned the Chicagoland Christian title with a 63-60 overtime win over Aurora Christian (17-4, 5-2) last weekend.
The Eagles can tie for second (with Christ the King) with wins over Bishop McNamara (Thursday) and Timothy Christian (Feb. 12).
Wheaton Academy (15-9, 6-2) needs a win over Timothy Christian (13-10, 5-2) on Feb. 9 to finish in a second-place tie.
Warriors junior forward Hayden Schroeder became the school’s career scoring leader during the team’s 51-45 loss to Niles Notre Dame. Schroeder, who finished with 22 points, surpassed the school mark set by Mark Frost (1,461 points) in 1975.
Leo (17-4, 6-0) clinched a share of the CCL White title with Tuesday’s 72-61 win over IC Catholic Prep (14-11, 3-4).
Marmion (14-10, 5-2), which plays Leo next week (Feb. 13), will likely finish second thanks in part to the play of senior Ali Tharwani and juniors Ben Piekarz and Joey Kramer.
In the Northeast Athletic, Harvest-Westminster Christian (10-14, 5-3) slipped to third place following Monday’s 69-45 loss to league-leading Schaumburg Christian (15-9, 7-2).
With Tuesday’s 58-49 victory over Our Lady of Sacred Heart, Harvest-Westminster kept its slim title hopes alive heading into regular season finales against Trinity Oaks (Friday) and Alden-Hebron (Feb. 12). Schaumburg Christian and Westlake Christian (13-8, 7-2) each have 1 league game left.