Wheaton Academy routs St. Edward
The Wheaton Academy boys basketball team's bench came out swinging against the St. Edward Green Wave Tuesday.
The Warriors (13-8, 7-1) defeated the Green Wave 66-38 in Suburban Christian Gold play at the Warrior Dome. The Warriors made it look easy as they led the Green Wave (9-13, 2-6) the entire game; and blew the game wide open in the second half starting with an 8-2 run in the third quarter to take a 21-point lead.
St. Edward was within 10 late in the second quarter but as the clock was winding down, a crucial turnover gave the Warriors a chance to score 4 more points before the halftime buzzer.
"We were supposed to take one shot and we turned it over," said St. Edward head coach P.J. White. "It's a different story after that. Being down by eight at halftime to a good team like (Wheaton Academy) wouldn't have been bad."
Senior guard Cameron Harvey led the Warriors with 18 points and senior guard Drew Sandburg had 11 on the night but it was the Warrior bench that came out and stepped up with a combined 19 points, including 7 from junior guard/forward Jake Cousins.
"Our second team gave us a great spark when they came in," said Warriors head coach Paul Ferguson. "They played with a lot of energy and played great defense. I was really proud of their effort."
St. Edward senior guard Eddie O'Halloran's 8 points led the Green Wave, while junior guard Antonio Domel notched 7.
Ferguson knows the victory was huge for his Warriors, and doesn't take the matchup against their Suburban Christian Conference rivals for granted.
"St. Edward is a scrappy team," said Ferguson. "They play very hard and they never quit. You've got to be ready to bring it the entire game."
The dominant display from the Warrior bench is promising for Ferguson, as he knows his depth will be a key down the stretch as they try to win out and claim first place in their division.
"Our guys have been such a team all year," he said. "It's great to see some of those guys just step up when they get a chance and play really well. I was really proud of the guys who came off that bench."