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Glenbard South defense strikes back

Four days after surrendering 101 points, Glenbard South's boys basketball team took the court again in search of renewed defensive focus.

The Raiders certainly found it.

A smothering second half allowed Glenbard South to rally for Tuesday's 42-40 Metro Suburban West victory over Wheaton Academy in West Chicago.

The Warriors burst to an 11-point lead behind seven first-half 3-pointers and a bucket to start the second half. Over the final 15 minutes, however, Glenbard South allowed only 10 points.

“We knew we had to pick it up defensively,” said Raiders senior guard Tyler Scott. “We weren't hitting any 3s, so we just started attacking the basket. We just have to keep working hard going into next week.”

Glenbard South (14-12, 9-3) took its first lead on Scott's three-point play less than two minutes into the fourth quarter. The Raiders' 8-0 run to start the period extended the advantage to 40-35 on another Scott basket with 4:44 left.

Wheaton Academy (5-21, 2-10) answered with Bryce Sandberg's 3-pointer and Tommy Blum's basket to tie it at 40 apiece. Glenbard South then held the Warriors scoreless for the final two minutes.

Scott scored again with 1:20 left to give the Raiders a 42-40 lead. On two straight Wheaton Academy possessions — including the final one in the waning seconds — the Raiders' Billy Bair batted away the ball away for a turnover to clinch the victory.

“I was glad to see how we were able to pick it up on the defensive end, especially in the second half,” said Raiders coach Wade Hardtke, whose team fell to Riverside-Brookfield 101-63 on Friday. “Any time you can come away with a win, it's a good win.”

Anthony Polinski sparked the Warriors to a 19-11 lead early in the second quarter by knocking down four 3-pointers. Seven of the team's eight first-half field goals were from beyond the arc, while Glenbard South made no 3-pointers the entire game.

The Raiders asserted themselves defensively immediately in the third quarter, helping to force 9 of the Warriors' 19 turnovers.

Polinski's 12 points led all scorers. Scott and Bair each scored 9 points for Glenbard South while Kyle Carli added 8 points among nine scorers.

“The third quarter has raised its head against us a lot of the year, and I don't know what it is,” said Warriors coach Pete Froedden. “We make some plays when we're not turning it over. We wanted to win this game, but hopefully this can be a positive for us going into tournament play.”

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