Willowbrook can't keep up with Proviso East
The four state championship banners that hang above the floor at Proviso East underscore its status as a highly distinctive basketball program.
Nobody knows that better than Willowbrook guard Everett Stubblefield III.
His parents are both graduates of the school. His father, also named Everett Stubblefield, was a star player there two decades ago. The younger Stubblefield had all the incentive to play well.
Stubblefield scored 13 points, but the Warriors could not contain the Pirates in the open floor or handle their withering full-court pressure, falling 85-58 Tuesday night in Maywood.
"We just struggled against their press," Stubblefield said. "That was the main thing we struggled with. We could not really get the ball past half court. We played hard as a team, but we could not really pull out the victory."
Proviso East plays an aggressive, full-court style that transcends time and personnel. Coach Donnie Boyce was a player on the Pirates' 1991 Class AA title team with Michael Finley and Sherrell Ford.
"This is one of the quickest teams I've ever had," Boyce said. "We are not very tall, but we are athletic and really get after it defensively."
The Warriors appeared to catch a break in the schedule by playing a Pirates team that was playing their fourth game in five days. It hardly mattered. Proviso East (13-5, 5-1) forced 26 turnovers in running out to a 51-24 halftime lead.
Proviso East was also coming off its first West Suburban Gold loss against Hinsdale South last Friday. Junior guard Michael Osborne scored 9 of his game-high 19 points in the first quarter.
Proviso East bolted out to a 25-9 lead after the first quarter. Willowbrook coach Chris Perkins called two timeouts. He could not slow down the frenetic and explosive Proviso East attack.
"That is the style they play," Perkins said. "Regardless of who they are playing, that is the up-tempo style they are trying to execute. It's a similar style to what we play, but obviously they were much better at it tonight. That is probably the most turnovers we have had in any game this year."
Playing in his first game since the Hinsdale Central Christmas Classic, guard Matas Masys tried to inject some life into the Warriors' attack by entering the game early in the second quarter.
Willowbrook (9-8, 3-3) never led. Charlie Flak opened the second quarter by drilling a 3-pointer that pulled the Warriors within 25-12. Proviso East responded with a 15-4 run. Ten Proviso East players scored.
Stubblefield was the lone Willowbrook player to reach double figures. Reserves Deandre Holliday, Joey Byrne and Brenton Jones scored 7 points apiece for the Warriors.
"We just have to work harder in practice and bounce back and play the way we are capable of and beat the next team we play to get a win," Stubblefield said.
Willowbrook travels to Sterling to play in a two-day Martin Luther King tournament. The Warriors will face highly regarded Maine South and Oswego East on Monday.
"We cannot dwell on this game for too long," Perkins said. "We haven't watched film in a while. We are going to look at ourselves, see our mistakes and try to limit them in our next game. We will address it Wednesday and try to move forward."