Glenbard South can't sustain good start

A day after Christmas, Glenbard South had visions of sugarplums - and, perhaps, an upset - dancing through its head.

The Raiders squared off against second-seeded Lyons Twp. on the first day of the 36th annual Jack Tosh Boys Holiday Classic at York, and for eight minutes Glenbard South appeared as though it might drop the Lions to the consolation side of the bracket.

Their hopes ended before halftime.

After Glenbard South (4-6) limited Lyons to just 4 first-quarter points, the Lions exploded offensively in the second period, pouring in 28 points and grabbing a 32-21 halftime advantage, with Austin Lusson's buzzer-beating 3 from just inside the midcourt highlighting the massive outburst. The hole proved too big to escape, as the Raiders dropped a 66-45 decision Saturday afternoon.

"They came out shooting the ball really cold," Glenbard South coach Wade Hardtke said. "We talked about how well their perimeter guys can shoot it, and they got hot - and really were able to pull away in a hurry."

Lyons Twp. made just a pair of its 20 first-quarter field-goal attempts, as it took its time adapting to the Raiders' defensive intensity.

"We were able to put some pressure on them early. Really, they were getting looks, but they just weren't falling early on," Hardtke said. "It's just a matter of time, and they really got hot."

The 10-minute halftime break did little to cool off the Lions' offense, as the victors drained 3 straight 3-pointers to open a 41-25 advantage midway through the third quarter.

Senior guard Michael Rovansek, who scored a team-high 19 points, felt the Raiders kept their drive up all game but were simply bested by a more skilled team.

"We came ready to play. We really wanted to beat them because we knew they were a good team," Rovansek said. "I don't think we really lost any intensity; they just really came out and tried to come back at us."

Glenbard South trailed 46-29 after three quarters and wasn't able to mount any serious comeback threat late.

Still, Hardtke focused on the Raiders' stellar first quarter, imagining the team he may have once injured players begin to mesh and integrate themselves with the squad.

"We've had so many different injuries and all kinds of different things going on this year," Hardtke said. "If we ever get to 100 percent, we'll be all right, and the way we played early on is kind of indicative of that."