Brust, Mustangs can't keep up

Ben Brust tried matching Zion-Benton basket for basket, and dunk for dunk.

Valiant as his efforts were, he couldn't.

In a wildly entertaining and brisk game that featured 37 points from Brust, 3 one-handed slams from the equally electrifying Lenzelle Smith and one missed dunk from Brust on a breakaway, visiting Zion-Benton pulled away to capture a 97-67 win Tuesday night.

Zion-Benton, which had six players score in double figures, improved to 8-1 and 3-1 in the North Suburban Lake Division. Mundelein fell to 4-5 and 1-2 with its third loss in four games.

Brust, who dropped a career-best 45 points on Libertyville exactly one week earlier, had 23 points at halftime on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor.

"We wanted to make him drive, because he's a good shooter," Z-B point guard Ronald Steward said, "and then have help in the gaps to make him dish it off."

Brust's straight-on 25-footer pulled Mundelein within 32-31 midway through the second quarter, but the Zee-Bees closed the half with an 11-2 run. Smith's runner just before the halftime buzzer extended the visiting team's lead to 43-33.

Zion-Benton then blew the game open in the third quarter. Dominant inside all night, the Zee-Bees used crisp passing and good shot selection to help them shoot 13 of 16 from the field in the third.

"Second half, we focused in more," said Steward, who scored 9 of his 18 points in the third. "We did it together as a team."

Smith led the Zee-Bees with 20 points of 10-of-13 shooting. In the fourth, the Ohio State-bound junior stutter-stepped in the lane to shake a defender, who tripped, then soared high and threw down a dunk. The play had Z-B fans oohing, aahing and even laughing.

"I was actually surprised," Steward said of Smith's third and final dunk. "Normally when he does that, he does a long layup. But it's in practice. Maybe because he's tired during the week. He had his energy going today."

Zion-Benton also got 15 points from Tennessee State-bound pivot Markus Yarbrough, 14 from reserve Paul Williams, 10 and 12 rebounds from Owen Worthington, and 11 points from Quintrell Love, who also had a dunk.

Brust, who cut his hand on a missed dunk attempt in the fourth, finished 15 of 31 from the floor with three 3-pointers. The junior was breathing heavily most of the night, as Zion-Benton made him work for his shots.

Mundelein sophomore post Ryan Sawvell added 14 points and 9 rebounds.