Glenbard West Holiday Classic Recap: Day 1

Final Score:

St. Charles East 69, Addison Trail 68

Summary

The Saints (1-0) jumped out to an early lead today with a barrage of threes, leading by as much as 14 early. Over the course of the rest of the game, the Blazers (0-1) worked their way back, closing the gap to as little as 5 during parts, with the Saints keeping distance. But a 13 point lead after 3 dwindled quickly, seeing Addison Trail take a 63-62 lead with 3 minutes to go. But the Saints got the last laugh, hitting key shots down the stretch.

Key Players:

• Dominic Adduci (SCE): 6-10 FG, 2-3 3PT, 10-12 FT, 23 pts. He became the focal point of his team after Kendall Stephens went down with an injured ankle. He was hitting from everywhere, and did a great job getting to the foul line. Easily the Player of the Game.
• Johnny Hondlik (SCE): 7-13 FG, 3-6 3PT, 2-3FT, 19 pts. He was the inside-outside threat for the Saints. Capable of knocking down threes, but wasn’t afraid to do a little dirty work inside. Someone you have to keep an eye on at all times.
• Varinder Kalsi (AT): 8-14FG, 6-103PT, 1-2FT, 23 pts. He went off in the 4th and was a key cog in the comeback, hitting several threes in the effort. He’s someone the other teams will have to gameplan for.

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Final Score:

Wheaton Academy 58, Timothy Christian 46

Summary

In a battle between former members of the now-defunct Private School League, the Warriors (1-0) jumped out to an early lead thanks to great ball movement and lethal shooting. The Trojans (0-1) took a lot of bad shots in this one early on before trying to mount a late comeback. They came within probably about 6 points before Wheaton finished them off.

Key Players:

• Cameron Harvey (WA): 6-13FG, 2-5 3PT, 7-11FT, 21 pts. He slowed down after a hot first quarter, but was effective everywhere on the floor. Very athletic, and will be a nightmare to guard.
• Lars Olson (WA): 4-9 FG, 4-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, 14 pts. He’s a gamechanger with his ability to hit the three. Hit a couple early, then hit a couple late. Someone you have to watch out for at all times.
• Danny Leach (TC): 22 pts. I don’t have the exact shot attempts in front of me, but in the 4^th quarter Leach also went off, making me hope for another St.Charles East-Addison Trail game. Didn’t happen. But he did enough to impress, hitting a few key threes to give Timothy hopes of a come from behind victory. If he is consistent throughout the game, Timothy will be a pain for any team.

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Final Score:

Leyden 62, Fenton 49

Summary

Leyden (1-0) came out with a half court trap at the start and jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, then led 17-8 at one point. The Bison (0-1) did step up defensively the rest of the way, though they never get closer than about 10 points. The Eagles also brought Lob City to Glen Ellyn, seeing Brian McNamara throw down an alley-oop.

Key Players

• Alex Hererra (LEY): 9-12 FG, 1-1 3PT, 19 pts. Easily the player of the game. He got to the hoop again and again against an otherwise pretty stout Bison defense. He made it look easy, and should be watched closely on passes to open teammates.
• Jonathan Woolf (LEY): 5-8 FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, 13 pts. Up there for Sixth Man of the tournament. Came in off the bench and scored everywhere as well. When you have a guy like him off the bench, it takes pressure off the starters to do all the work. He’s someone to watch out for as well.
• Colin Wallace (FEN): 6-14 FG, 4-8 3PT, 5-5 FT, 21 pts. Wallace went off in the 4^th in a comeback effort, part of a theme tonight. If he can get involved early, he’ll be a dangerous man in every game.

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Final Score:

Glenbard West 60, West Chicago 48

Summary

The Hilltoppers (1-0) jumped out to a huge lead early on with the lid on the Wildcats' (0-1) basket. They went into the half down 37-13. How did they respond? They came out inspired in the 2nd half and while they didn't get closer than about 7 points, they didn't give up and gave Glenbard a great game.

Key Players

•  Michael Mache (GBW): 4-9 FG, 4-4 FT, 12 pts. Not a dominating scoring performance, but he did enough along with his twin brother Matthew (also 12 points). Normally you're lucky to see a dunk in a high school game. Michael had 2... on back to back possessions. One came on an open look on an entry pass, and the other was on a fast break.
• Jeff Levesque (GBW): 4-9 FG, 0-1 3PT, 7-12 FT, 15 pts. Levesque was a consistent threat to drive and get to the line. He had at least one steal as well, and his aggresive play took attention away from bombers like Kevin Loftus.
• West Chicago shooting: 4-26 FG 1st half, 13-56 FG overall. They were certainly better in the second half, but it's hard to overcome that poor of a shooting night. Hats off to the Wildcats for staying with it late.

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It was a good first day, and Geoffy and I are getting back to it tomorrow. Addison Trail-Timothy Christian at 3, St. Charles East-Wheaton Academy at 4:30, Leyden-West Chicago at 6:30, and Fenton-Glenbard West at 8. You can once again catch the games on iHigh.com.