Reedy, Glenbard West clutch at the line
Glenbard West coach Tim Hoder describes senior Will Reedy as a calm, unexcitable guy. In other words the kind of player you want to be at the free-throw line late in a close game.
Reedy made 9 of 10 free throws in the final two minutes to help the Hilltoppers pull out a 62-56 West Suburban Silver boys basketball victory at Downers Grove North on Friday night.
"I can't say enough about his shooting this year and how he's come along," Hoder said. "It's just such a good story because he's a senior kid who's stuck it out and kept working and he's having a good senior year. And I couldn't be happier for him. He made all his free throws when we needed them tonight, and I'm thrilled for him, I really am."
"I've been battling a little bit more in practice, and I'd say I've just kind of found my spot this year," Reedy added.
Glenbard West (11-12, 3-7) led most of the game, but Downers Grove North (7-15, 1-9) took the lead away briefly when senior Colin Kramper scored the final 5 points of the third quarter to put the Trojans ahead 36-35.
"Kramper really asserted himself in the third quarter to put us up 1 and had a lot of energy," Trojans coach Jim Thomas said.
The lead didn't last long. The Hilltoppers started the final period with an 8-1 run as sophomore Brian Cochrane hit a pair of crucial 3-pointers.
"Brian stepped up and hit some big shots tonight," Hoder said. "He really bailed us out."
"You just can't do that in a close ballgame," Thomas added. "You can't have two possessions where you give a guy an uncontested look at the 3."
On a night when both teams seemed to find it easier to score from beyond the arc than inside the lane, Glenbard West made eight 3-pointers on 14 attempts.
"This is the third game in a row we've talked about pushing up the perimeter and ... we've got to be giving up more than 60 percent from beyond the 3," Thomas said. "Eight out of 14 is not going to win many games. I thought we could have won the turf war and didn't tonight. We got the ball inside on the interior and didn't take care of making the easy ones. And then it puts a little more strain on your offense."
Forced to stretch the game as long as they could, the Trojans made the Hilltoppers win at the free-throw line. They did, making 20 of 23 for the game. Point guard Corey Davis made 5 of 6 in the final 1:39, but Reedy got the bulk of the work at the line.
"We practice free throws every day in practice, so I guess I was fortunate enough of all the guys on the team to actually shoot them," Reedy said. "When it comes down to it, it's all practice and getting them in."
Reedy finished with a game-best 17 points, Davis scored 13 and Cochrane finished with 11. Kramper, Myles Farley and Matt Mahlke each scored 10 for the Trojans.
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