Timothy Christian edges Glenbard South in OT
Timothy Christian overcame several obstacles in its Metro Suburban Conference boys basketball opener against Glenbard South.
Friday night’s contest saw the Trojans get down 11-0 to start the game thanks to 8 first-quarter turnovers.
The Raiders then applied a full-court press to start the second half, forcing 14 more Timothy Christian turnovers between the third and fourth quarters.
However, the Trojans held on with accurate free-throw shooting down the stretch, leading to a 63-62 overtime win in Glen Ellyn.
“We’re a work in progress right now, but we’re happy to get this win,” Timothy Christian coach Jack LeGrand said. “It could have gone either way. We tried every way to give it back, and Glenbard kept scratching and taking opportunities to win the game. I was proud of the kids for pulling out the win tonight.”
The Trojans managed to tie the game at 13-13 after Connor VanderBrug drove the length of the court and finished with a layup as the first-quarter buzzer sounded.
With Timothy Christian up 30-22 at halftime, Glenbard South applied a full-court press, allowing the Raiders to inch their way back. The Trojans had 9 turnovers in the third quarter.
Tyler Scott gave Glenbard South its first lead since the first quarter at 33-32 after a steal on the press, followed by a layup with 5:25 left in the third.
The fourth quarter saw three ties and four lead changes, but Rickette sent the game into overtime by hitting a pair of free throws with 27.5 seconds left.
In the overtime period, Glenbard South’s Alex Jeske was called for his fifth foul on a call away from the ball, sending VanderBrug to the free-throw line.
VanderBrug calmly sank both free throws with 1:08 left, giving the Trojans the lead for good.
“I knew I had to hit those free throws at the end,” VanderBrug said. “I think we were just able to maintain our composure.”
Rickette, who led the Raiders with a game-high 26 points, had one last chance to win the game, but his jumper near the top of the key missed and the rebound turned into a jump-ball situation with the possession arrow favoring Timothy Christian.
“It was a battle all night long and it was unfortunate we couldn’t come away with the win,” Glenbard South coach Wade Hardtke said.