Mateling’s ‘D’ keys Grayslake North

Chasing Wauconda guard Kyle Ryan around the basketball court can make even a good defender foul prone.

So after Grayslake North guard Danny Mateling was whistled for a hack on the Bulldogs’ sharpshooter midway through the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s season opener at Richmond-Burton, Knights coach Todd Grunloh approached the scorer’s table.

“How many (fouls) does he have?” Grunloh asked.

“One,” the scorekeeper answered.

“Wow,” a relieved and stunned Grunloh said with raised eyebrows.

Ryan’s final point total: a game-high 18.

Wow.

Mateling, mind you, was earning praise afterward not only for his team-high 17 points that helped Grayslake North win 64-54 as part of the Johnsburg/Richmond-Burton tournament, but also for his effort guarding Ryan.

“This Kyle Ryan,” said Grunloh, shaking his head in admiration, “he’s a good shooter. ... I thought Danny Mateling, did unbelievably on him all night.

“I was surprised how good a defense he played for only 1 foul, especially for as close as the game was called,” Grunloh added. “To have to guard (Ryan) up close and take away his shot, and to get your first foul (midway through the fourth quarter), that says a lot. He was position a lot and used his feet.”

Ryan and Mateling, a late-season call-up as a sophomore last winter, sank five 3-pointers apiece.

Ryan, who battled foul trouble in the middle quarters, scored 12 points in the final quarter, as he tried to rally Wauconda from a 44-30 deficit after three.

After his last 3, from about 6 feet beyond the arc with Mateling somehow avoiding another foul, the defender could only tap the shooter on the shoulder and congratulate him.

“I tapped him and said, ‘Nice shot,’ ” Mateling said. “(The 3-pointer) was deep. I had a hand in his face and he made it over me.”

Like his team, Ryan struggled with his shot at the start. Wauconda sank just 3 of 13 attempts from the floor in spotting Grayslake North a 12-7 lead. The Knights never relinquished their advantage.

Ryan, who also had 4 steals, made three 3s and went 4 of 6 from the floor in the fourth.

“He’s a really good shooter,” Mateling said. “I’d get my hand in his face, and he’d still hit everything. It was tough to defend him, but I was preparing to cover him all during the week. I was really working hard on him.”

Grayslake North had four players score in double figures, with A.J. Fish adding 14, Mark Hall chipping in 10 and Jake Buckels coming off the bench to also contribute 10. Zack Krupp had 9 points, including a 3-pointer, and a game-best 10 rebounds.

“We were swinging the ball around and getting shots up,” Mateling said. “Our point guard, Mark Hall, is really good at getting the ball to us.”

Mateling’s pair of 3s, both off feeds from 6-foot-7 Ben Guhl, helped Grayslake North build a 26-18 lead by halftime.

“They’re a very well-coached team and they ran the floor pretty well,” Wauconda coach Scott Luetschwager said. “Their guards are quick. Hall is very quick. He was able to take us off the dribble.”

Wauconda junior guard Austin Swenson had 16 points on an array of shots. He finished 6 of 9 from the floor with a 3-pointer and made 3-of-4 foul shots. Matt Mead finished with 9 points, including a 3.

Swenson was an early-season call-up a year ago due to injuries. When the Bulldogs got healthy, Luetschwager said he gave Swenson the option of going down to the sophomore team or staying up on varsity. Swenson chose the latter, but didn’t play a lot.

“He just sat next to Coach (Al Marks) and me, and every time we were talking, he was listening and asking questions,” Luetschwager said. “He’s not the quickest of kids, but he’s got some savvy. He’s like a junkball pitcher. He’s got slower and slower. He just finds a way. He has basketball IQ, that’s for sure.”

Fish and Guhl complemented Krupp on the boards with 7 rebounds apiece.

“We got a couple of guys that should be able to get 10 rebounds a game,”Grunloh said. “I don’t know if they’ll average that, but on a decent amount of nights, they should be getting 10 rebounds.

Fish grabbed 4 boards, including a pair at the offensive end, in the opening quarter. Krupp snared 5 defensive rebounds in the second quarter.

“A.J. and Krupp came out and dominated the boards,” Grunloh said. “That was huge for us because it was a typical first game against Wauconda, where it seems neither team scores in the first five minutes, as (players) are getting those jitters out of the way.”