Defensive stands help Metea Valley hold off S. Elgin

When the Metea Valley boys basketball team needed a stop in the fourth quarter Saturday night, it got eight of them.

The Mustangs went on a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter to recover after blowing a 14-point lead against host South Elgin for a 58-53 Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division victory.

"We started getting some stops," Metea Valley Bob Vozza said. "We started out well, good defensively. We let off the gas a little in the third quarter."

The Mustangs (19-1, 8-1) controlled the game until midway through the third quarter. Kenny Obendorf scored six consecutive points to give Metea Valley a 40-26 lead with 4:52 remaining the third. The Storm's Jacob Maestranzi nailed one of his 5 3-pointers 20 seconds later. Obendorf hit 1 of 2 free throws with 2:46 left making it 41-29.

Darius Wells started a 14-0 run for the Storm (9-10, 2-6) with a 3-pointer. Maestranzi had a steal and hit a 3-pointer. Wells scored on a baseline jumper and hit a 3-pointer from the left corner with 1 second remaining in the third to make it 41-40 Metea Valley heading to the fourth.

Maestranzi sank another 3-pointer on the first possession of the fourth to cap the 14-0 run and give South Elgin a 43-41 lead, its first lead since early in the first quarter.

"It was a positive in the right direction," South Elgin coach Chaz Taft said. "We still have to do a better job when we are in some of our defensive stunts."

Two free throws from Willy Gagic gave the Storm a 47-45 lead with 5:30 remaining. But South Elgin would not score again until 16.5 seconds left.

Metea Valley forced two turnovers and the Storm missed seven shots in South Elgin's next eight possessions. The Mustangs hit 8 of 12 free throws and Ryan Soloman had an easy layup during that span for a 10-0 run to take a 55-47 lead with 40.9 seconds left. Two late 3-pointers one from Gagic and one from Maestranzi got South Elgin close, but it couldn't overcome the more than 5 minute drought down the stretch.

"Hats off to (South Elgin) for the way they approach the game," Vozza said. "I think we did make some plays in the end to get the victory."

Obendorf led Metea Valley with 21 points, including going 5-for-6 from the free-throw line in the fourth. Milan Bojanic added 13 points and 7 rebounds. Soloman finished with 9 points.

Wells' 18 points led the Storm. Maestranzi added 15 and Gagic had 10.