Buffalo Grove can't recover after first-quarter drought

It was four minutes that Buffalo Grove would like to have back.

The Bison allowed Niles North to run off 15 unanswered points late in the first quarter and never recovered to fall to the Vikings 64-47 in the final game of the Buffalo Grove boys basketball tournament.

Niles North claimed the tournament title by winning all four of its games.

"We did a lot of stuff we wanted to do the start the game," said Buffalo Grove coach Keith Peterson. "We just had too many live-ball turnovers that they could lay it in or dunk it."

Buffalo Grove (2-2) led 5-4 when the wheels came off, thanks mainly to the play of Niles North's Crishawn Cook.

The Division I prospect, who was named MVP of the tournament, ignited the run with a steal and dunk.

Cook later added two more steals and followed up with jams as Niles North opened a 19-5 lead with 1:15 left in the first quarter.

But from there, the game was fairly even with Buffalo Grove getting as close as 10 points in the second quarter.

Niles North was never able to completely run away with the game.

"I think we got them frustrated at times," Peterson said. "We were still able to do a lot of things we wanted to do. But the bottom line is that they are a very good team."

Buffalo Grove had trouble at times handling Niles North's speed, turning the ball over 16 times.

"We just tried to do too much at times," Peterson said. "I think more of our mind got working too fast."

Buffalo Grove senior Hans Haller, who finished with 9 points and 6 rebounds, said his team did not take care of the ball as well as it can.

"We had way too many turnovers and they stole too many passes off the perimeter," Haller said. "We've just got to cut the turnovers back. When we do that, we play very well."

BG sophomore Jack Vaselaney, who was named to the all-tournament team, said his team just couldn't get out from under.

"We just had too many turnovers," said Vaselaney, who led the Bison with 13 points. "The pressure just got to us. I thought we picked it up at times, but we just couldn't hold them off."

Hans Haller and Caleb Mayhorn each had 9 points for Buffalo Grove while Joey Pinakidis added 6 points. Cook led Niles North with 22 points and 6 steals.

The game turned into a foul-fest, with both teams whistled for 27 of them. The teams shot a total of 74 free throws, including 32 in the second quarter.

Despite the outcome, Peterson felt his team made progress since its season-opening loss to Grayslake Central on Monday.

"After Monday night, I am happy," Peterson said. "We showed some nerves on Monday and came back and fought hard after that. We played two very good teams since Monday and for the most part, we played with them, besides one run."