Glenbard West Holiday Classic Recap: Day 3

Final Score

Timothy Christian 53, St. Charles East 50

Summary

Finally had a scorers’ duel we’d been waiting for all tournament long. The Saints (2-1) once again had tie games after 2 and again after 3, with offense coming from an unlikely source (see below). Meanwhile the Trojans (2-1) played great defense all game, as they had the hero with a game winning shot. St. Charles East gave away its shot to play for the title today.

Key Players

• Danny Leach (TC): 22 pts. He was huge again today, hitting some big threes throughout the game, but none bigger than a go-ahead bomb with 2 seconds left. It was the culmination of a couple tough missed shots but great offensive rebounding, finally finding him a good enough look. Leach as of this game's conclusion was the front-runner for tournament MVP.
• Matt Morrison (TC): 11 pts. Finally came up with some offensive heroics today, scoring 7 in the first, but it was solid defense again that earns him a spot on this list. He came up with a couple more steals in key moments to help the Trojans preserve the win.
• Kendall Stephens (SCE): 30 pts. Ankle injury? What ankle injury? Stephens surprised both Geoffy and me by coming off the bench in the 2^nd quarter and draining a torrent of threes to make this arguably the most fun game of the tournament.

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Final Score

Wheaton Academy 61, Addison Trail 46

Summary

The Blazers (0-3) continued their “never say die” tournament by staying close to Wheaton in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters, even taking a couple leads here and there. But the Warriors (2-1) proved to be too much in the 4^th quarter, as Addison Trail kept turning the ball over. With the win, the Warriors took advantage of the Timothy Christian win to sneak back into the title game.

Key Players

• Collin Roy (WA): 18 pts. Roy came up big in the 4^th quarter with a couple big shots from all over the field (3’s, layups, you name it).
• Lars Olson (WA): 10 pts. Olson was huge on both ends of the floor once again, a close competition with Matt Morrison for Defensive Player of the Tournament, but he has hit a few big 3’s in pool play, none bigger than a buzzer beater at the end of the 3^rd quarter that doubled Wheaton’s lead and effectively killed the Blazers.
• Vince Beltrano (AT): 13 pts. He had another solid game on offense, but was outmatched by Cameron Harvey in the post (14 points). He did enough early to keep the Blazers in the game, but was ineffective in the 4^th quarter as Addison Trail saw its chances slip away.

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Final Score

West Chicago 57, Fenton 29

Summary

It was a close game earlier in the game, but the Wildcats (1-2) stepped up their game in the 2^nd quarter to jump to a 31-15 halftime lead. The Bison (0-3) made a lot of mistakes and just couldn’t seem to get going on offense. They really haven’t been that remarkable a team aside from Collin Wallace’s scoring. It became garbage time by the fourth quarter with West Chicago jumping to a 20 point lead a few minutes in.

Key Players

• Dylan Hedmark (WC): 16 pts. He finally had a breakout game with no one to contain him. He probably had a double-double today by the time all was said and done.
• Justin Mundt (WC): 11 pts. Mundt continues to be the best player on this West Chicago team, getting to the line a little bit and hitting big shots. Worthy of consideration for all tournament honors. 
• Adam Kadlec (FEN): 11 pts. Had a couple early buckets, really didn’t step up as the game went on. He also got called for a technical late in the game. He led the team in scoring as Collin Wallace only had 8 tonight.

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Final Score

Glenbard West 56, Leyden 35.

Summary

Another one that started as a great defensive struggle, but the Hilltoppers (2-0) stepped up their game in the second quarter. The Eagles (2-0) really didn’t have an answer for the balanced offense of Glenbard West, combining an inside game with some timely threes. They proceeded to blow it open in the third, setting a date with Wheaton Academy for the title.

Key Players

• Michael Mache (GBW): 12 pts. Front runner for MVP right now, based on his being the leader on the team with the best record in the tournament. Got a lot of easy looks down low.
• Pat Mazza (GBW): 8 pts. At least 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Probably now the favorite for Defensive Player of the tournament. Also had a nice authoritative dunk tonight. He’s tied with Mache for the tournament lead in dunks.
• Alex Hererra (LEY): 15 pts. 4 of those came on technical free throws, but he did not have many driving lanes tonight. Credit the Hilltopper defense, but especially Justin Taylor for sticking on him like glue.

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This has been a great tournament, and I want to take the opportunity to thank Glenbard West and iHigh.com for the opportunity to get back behind the mic for basketball games. Tomorrow I will be missing out on the finals (Geoffy is calling the title game), as I will be at North Central for the return of women's basketball to Merner. I also get the one-game recap instead of a jumbo pack of 4 games.