West Chicago dumps Elgin, will play for title

Jason Gimre was not about to turn down a freebie.

The West Chicago guard converted all 11 of his free-throw attempts in scoring a game-high 21 points; the senior led two other teammates in double figures as the Wildcats rolled over Elgin 66-44 Friday afternoon.

The Wildcats will face Chicago Public League member Schurz Saturday in the final game of their four-team boys basketball Thanksgiving Tournament for the outright title.

"You have to take advantage when the referees are calling all those fouls," said Gimre, who scored 12 of his game-high total in the opening quarter. "(Free-throw efficiency is) going to be the difference when we play some tough teams down the stretch. We shut them down pretty well in the second half."

West Chicago (2-0) had a 15-2 run after the Maroons' team-high man, Dan Toolsie, scored the first 4 points of the game.

The Maroons (0-2) never came within four the remainder of the game.

Gimre drained two of the Wildcats' four 3-pointers in the first quarter.

But fouls would haunt Elgin.

The Maroons ended with 17 field goals to the Wildcats' 18, but West Chicago enjoyed a 26-7 discrepancy in made free throws.

"We were behind the eight-ball because we were a step slow," Elgin coach Mike Sitter said of the 22-point spread. "We are not very talented. We need to come out with more energy. The fouls were on us for not moving our feet and reaching."

West Chicago seized command in the first half as a result.

Entering the second quarter with an 8-point lead, West Chicago duplicated the result to enter the break with a 37-21 lead.

The Wildcats' Sam Ricci had back-to-back possessions to epitomize the West Chicago 16-point lead at halftime.

The junior forward followed a 3-pointer with a tip-in to account for the Wildcats' final 5 points of the second quarter.

"I just have to get what I can," said Ricci, who had his own foul issues in scoring 15 points. "You have to find shots. I can't afford to be out of the game."

Ricci was the only West Chicago player to score from the field in the third quarter, including another tip-in off a missed free throw.

West Chicago ultimately scored a mere 12 points from the field after halftime, but 16 free-throw conversions in the second half more than kept Elgin at bay.

"I have been around this game a really long time," West Chicago coach Bill Recchia said. "The officials are part of the game. You have to adapt."

Isaac Nelson added 11 points for West Chicago.

Toolsie had 14 for Elgin.