Bartlett builds big lead, holds off Streamwood
A nearly flawless first half and the hot hand of senior guard Jack Stuenkel in the second half helped carry Bartlett to a 59-57 Upstate Eight Conference basketball triumph over Streamwood (7-11, 3-5) Tuesday night in Bartlett.
Led by senior guard Austin Gates' 20 first-half points, the Hawks (5-14, 2-6) opened a 35-18 halftime advantage.
Limiting their turnovers (3), the Hawks forced 12 Streamwood miscues during the first 16 minutes.
Meanwhile, Gates single-handedly outscored the entire Streamwood team, 20-18.
"In the first half, I thought we absolutely executed our game plan perfectly," said Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith. "I think we really confused them. We took (Keenon) Cole out of some of his favorite shots and we took (Nikola) Sinik out of some of his favorite shots.
"We turned that into quality offense of our own."
Ahead 10-9, the Hawks went on a 20-2 tear to build a 19-point lead. Gates scored 13 points during the explosive run, including three 3-pointers.
"I think we caught them off guard and we started out pretty hot," said Gates, who added 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a pair of blocked shots. "It helped that shots were falling in the first half. We were moving the ball around pretty well and it opened up some good looks on threes."
After a first half that Streamwood coach Kent Payne characterized as "embarrassing," the Sabres finally gained some footing in the third quarter.
Outscoring Bartlett 24-11, Streamwood whittled a 20-point deficit to 46-42 heading into the final 8 minutes.
Cole, a 6-7 senior forward, scored 10 third-quarter points on perfect 3 of 3 shooting from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers, while sophomore guard Zach Marquez (8 points, 6 assists) added 5 points during the Sabres' comeback.
"Their coaches did a real good job coming up with a plan and coming back at us," said Wolfsmith. "Those kids could've come out and just mailed it in but they didn't. They came out aggressive."
Stuenkel (16 points) helped his team stay on top, accounting for 9 of the Hawks' 11 third-quarter points with three 3-pointers.
"Jack was awesome in the third quarter," Wolfsmith said of Stuenkel. "He was big and the guys found him, and I thought Cam Kunzer came in and did a good job for us defensively."
Streamwood pulled within 59-57 on a 3-pointer by Nick Droll (11 points) with 21 seconds remaining before Sinik's desperation 30-foot fadeaway fell short at the buzzer.
Cole paced the Sabres with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
"It's kind of frustrating because here we are 16-17 games in and we still have embarrassing efforts," said Payne. "It's tough for me as a coach - we should learn how to be consistent. Hand it to them (the Hawks) - they came out and they were excited."
Nicholas Wolf and Hayden Angell chipped in with 7 points apiece for the Hawks.
"It's a great win given where we've been," said Wolfsmith. "We'll see if we can carry this forward."