LaCosse, Naperville North overcome West Chicago

Posted January 21, 2011 10:00 pm

By Brian Miller Daily Herald Correspondent

The West Chicago boys basketball team knew after its game Friday night at Naperville North what it had done wrong in the Huskies' 55-32 win.

First, the Wildcats let Huskies' 6-foot-6 forward Matt LaCosse get points in the paint as the senior scored 10 of his game-high 15 points in the second quarter when the Huskies (9-8, 5-2 DuPage Valley Conference) started to pull away from the Wildcats (4-12, 0-7).

"They made a concerted effort to pound the ball inside and we didn't match their physicalness inside," West Chicago coach Kevin Baldus said. "That pretty much took care of itself."

Second, the Wildcats could not make a shot that wasn't a free throw. West Chicago shot just 5 for 25 from inside the arc and 8 of 34 overall. Josh Gimre scored 13, hitting West Chicago's three 3-pointers, while Justin Mundt reached 12 points after going 8 for 8 at the free-throw line.

"Offense was a problem," Mundt said. "First half, we got shots up and made a couple but then started struggling.

"At the end we just got out of our offense and didn't get many shots up. When we did, we weren't making them."

Those two huge problems spelled doom as the Huskies also converted at the free-throw line, making 16 of 19, but were able to make 10 more field goals and get easy baskets in the paint. Jovonn Griffin scored 13 for Naperville North and was in the middle of a 14-0 third-quarter run that kept the Huskies in a competitive position in the DVC.

"I told my teammates that good teams put away the teams they are supposed to put away and that's what we did tonight," LaCosse said. "It was great to see that win."

The Illinois football recruit has been instrumental in getting the Huskies back on track after being out for much of the first half of the year with a football injury. With defense as its backbone and LaCosse as its heart, Naperville North is pushing toward the playoffs.

"He is a true leader," Huskies coach Jeff Powers said. "I don't know if there are many other leaders like him in high school sports."

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