Basketball: Week 5 MVPs
Stevenson sophomore Jalen Brunson and Streamwood senior Jessica Cerda have earned Daily Herald MVP honors for the recent basketball performances.
Brunson had 26 points against Lake Zurich and a career-best 35 against Lake Forest, both North Suburban Lake victories for the Bears.
Cerda, a Chicago State recruit, led the Sabres with 16 points in a win over Bartlett. She followed that with 17 in a victory against Batavia; Cerda bettered the 1,000-point career mark in that contest.
BOYS MVP
Jalen Brunson, Stevenson: The son of former NBA player Rick Brunson, the sophomore point guard continues to show that he, too, has skills. He scored 26 points in helping the Patriots rally from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter to edge Lake Zurich 58-51. In his previous game, the second-year varsity starter poured in a career-high 35 points in a 59-53 victory over Lake Forest.
BOYS RUNNERS-UP
Tyler Crater, Hampshire: The Whip-Purs’ 6-foot-3 senior dug more holes for opponents last week and in the process helped his team to 3 straight wins and a 10-game win streak. In a 53-49 win over Crystal Lake South, Crater scored 8 points and had 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. He then had 14 points in a 63-60 win over Marmion in the first round of the Chuck Dayton tournament at DeKalb before coming back the next night with 21 points, including the game-winning shot, and 8 rebounds in a 49-48 win at DeKalb over Chicago Vocational.
Jordan Glasgow, Marmion: The 6-foot sophomore guard stopped a three-game skid with 21 points and 9 rebounds in a 68-61, double-overtime win over Geneseo at DeKalb. His free throw in the last 7 seconds forced overtime. Glasgow scored 20 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals in a prior 63-60 tourney loss to Hampshire.
JaRon Hall, Glenbard East: The 5-foot-11 junior guard led the Rams to a 63-57 win over Naperville North in a showdown between DuPage Valley Conference unbeatens. Hall scored 19 of his game-high 24 points in the second half, including four 3-pointers. Hall also tallied 23 points in a 73-70 overtime loss to Rockford Lutheran.
Roosevelt Smart, Palatine: The sophomore guard is playing a key role as the Pirates are starting to find themselves offensively. Smart had a game-best 23 points in an MSL divisional crossover win at Wheeling, then led all scorers with 21 points, including five 3s, in an MSL West win over Hoffman Estates.
GIRLS MVP
Jessica Cerda, Streamwood: The Sabres’ 5-foot-9 senior scored 16 points in a 43-37 win over Bartlett, snapping a 12-game losing streak against the Sabres’ rival, then scored 17, including her 1,000th career point, in a 53-50 Upstate Eight River win over Batavia. The Chicago State recruit became the sixth Streamwood girls basketball player to scored at least 1,000 points.
GIRLS RUNNERS-UP
Alyssa Andersen, Aurora Christian: This versatile junior guard scored half of her team’s points in a key 42-33 Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division victory over Immaculate Conception. In addition to those 21 points and 4 steals, Andersen led her team with 14 points in a loss to Newark.
Becca Stoczynski, Hoffman Estates: The 6-foot guard-forward, who battled inside for rebounds (14) and often played point guard, made the first 11 of her 12 free throws and scored a game-high 15 points as Hoffman led nearly all the way in a 40-30 triumph over Barrington, which had previously been undefeated in the Mid-Suburban West.
Sydney Smith, Vernon Hills: The Division I prospect continues to play like one. The junior forward fell just shy of her second double-double in a row, as she had 18 points (four 3-pointers) and 8 rebounds in a 61-33 win over Round Lake. She was coming off a performance in which she posted 13 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals, as the Cougars beat Lakes 56-41.
Zoe Swift, Naperville North: The aptly named senior point guard was the catalyst for two wins at the Naperville North/Benet Holiday Tournament. Swift scored 21 points in a 57-46 win over Glenbard West, then tallied 22 points as the Huskies beat Providence 53-41 for fifth place.