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Willowbrook eases past Addison Trail

Nothing's ever easy between Willowbrook and Addison Trail, but at least this time there was some breathing room.

After playing a four-overtime thriller a month ago, Willowbrook's boys basketball team managed to pull away to a 63-48 victory over District 88 rival Addison Trail in Monday's Class 4A Benet regional quarterfinals in Lisle.

Willowbrook's reward for beating the Blazers for a second time in three tries is a semifinal matchup against top-seeded Benet. The No. 17 Warriors (11-18) face the host Redwings (25-3) at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

"It feels great," said Willowbrook sophomore Ethan Schuemer, who scored a game-high 19 points. "We knew it was going to be a close game the whole way through. We just knew we had to fight."

An 8-0 run by No. 16 Addison Trail (14-15) - highlighted by a Jack Kalbas 3-pointer, a three-point play by Ryan Zygowicz and Colton Noel's putback - gave the Blazers a 37-32 lead late in the third quarter.

Schuemer's bucket and back-to-back Kevin Miller 3-pointers, however, gave Willowbrook the lead for good at 40-37 by the end of the quarter.

The Warriors' momentum continued through the fourth quarter as their defense forced 5 of Addison Trail's 21 turnovers on the night. Willowbrook closed the game on a 16-5 run and held the Blazers scoreless for the game's final three minutes.

"We had too many foolish possessions and it really took us out of our rhythm," said Addison Trail coach Brendan Lyons, whose team made only 3 of 10 free-throw attempts. "There really wasn't much flow for us in the second half because we turned it over too much."

Kalbas knocked down three 3-pointers while leading Addison Trail with 15 points. Matas Masys also hit three 3s for Willowbrook. He and Freddie Clay scored 11 points apiece for the Warriors.

"It seemed like it was going our way," said Willowbrook coach Chris Perkins. "But in the back of my mind I was thinking how something always happens at the end of our games when we face each other."

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