Glenbard West hangs on against West Chicago

Even with a 23-point lead late in the third quarter Monday, senior Connor Mullins and his Glenbard West boys basketball teammates knew their Class 4A playoff opener against West Chicago wasn't over.

"It felt like a closer game than it was," Mullins said. "They just kept coming at us. At halftime coach (Tim Hoder) was saying they're going to keep coming at us. A 20-point lead doesn't mean anything."

The Hilltoppers actually found themselves tied in the final 30 seconds, but they came through for a satisfying 49-47 victory in the opening round of the West Chicago regional.

Glenbard West (13-14), the No. 17 seed of the Hinsdale Central sectional, returns to West Chicago at 7 p.m. Tuesday to play No. 1 Wheaton Warrenville South (27-1) in the regional semifinals.

Last year the Hilltoppers were a No. 2 seed and reached the sectional semifinals, but they graduated their top six scorers. Four seniors started Monday - Mullins, Chris Langan, Kevin Nelson and Alex Pihlstrom.

Pihlstrom's two free throws with 15.5 seconds left proved to be the difference.

"We kept our composure. We knew in those timeouts that we were going to win this game," Mullins said. "Coming from last year, that winning mentality, we knew we had to carry that in here. Even though we didn't have the talent (that graduated), we just knew that the seniors had to stick together and we would do our best."

Mullins and sophomore starter Evan Taylor each had 13 points, with Langan adding 8 and Pihlstrom and Ethan Larson 6 each. Taylor had 10 rebounds and Mullins and Langan each had two of the team's six 3-pointers.

Jason Gimre led No. 15 West Chicago (16-12) with 20 points, including 16 of the Wildcats' 29 fourth-quarter points to spearhead their remarkable rally. Division I recruit Tai Bibbs and fellow senior Devonte Pascal each had 7 points, and sophomore Isaac Nelson added 6. Pascal had 9 rebounds and 3 steals.

The Wildcats used a 17-2 run to close to 45-44 with 2:02 left and tied the game on Gimre's three with 27.4 seconds.

After a near backcourt steal, Pihlstrom was fouled and hit two free throws in the double bonus.

"Those were huge. Those were his biggest free throws that I can remember," Hoder said.

The Hilltoppers' defense then came through again. After Gimre's 3 from the top of the key was wide, the Wildcats got the rebound but Morrison stole the ball and ran out the clock.

"When it left (Gimre's) hands, I thought it was banking in, to be honest," West Chicago coach Bill Recchia said. "We dug ourselves a hole and just battled and battled and battled. I'm proud of the way we fought back and actually gave ourselves a look to win the game."

The Hilltoppers have won three straight for the first time this season. After leading 22-14 at halftime, they opened the third quarter with a 15-0 run for a 37-14 advantage with 1:35 left in the period.

"Tai can really shoot it. They can score in a hurry. At no point did I think we were out of the woods until that last buzzer," Hoder said. "I'm very proud of the way the kids have been battling throughout the season. They've been trying to get better every week. That's a real tribute to our kids."

The Wildcats were 1-for-11 shooting in their 3-point first quarter and 4-point third quarter. Bibbs, averaging 26.7 points, was limited to 2 field goals and 3 for 8 free throws.

"We were definitely proud of our defense on Tai. That's what we've been working on all week and it showed," Mullins said.

"Give them some credit, but we missed some shots that we'd normally knock down. We didn't shoot well at the free-throw line, which we normally do," Recchia said.

WW South has been playing tough all season. The Tigers are riding a 14-game winning streak and made an undefeated run to the DuPage Valley Conference title.

"At times we looked really good tonight and I think we're going to need some longer stretches (against WW South)," Hoder said.

Bibbs finishes as the No. 3 scorer in West Chicago history. The three-year varsity starter played an integral part in the first conference title in school history last season.

"He's been as much to this program as anyone who has been through this program," Recchia said. "Not only that, the things that he does off the floor, the leadership that he gives this entire program. That's the type of stuff that makes true leaders and true champions."