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Hinsdale Central avoids Glenbard East trap

Hinsdale Central's boys basketball team escaped Glenbard East's trap game, literally and figuratively.

Hinsdale Central came off a win over Lyons Twp., its ancient rival, and welcomed the Rams for a nonconference Saturday matinee in Hinsdale.

The visitors trailed by 16 points three minutes into the fourth quarter then sprung a half-court trap to help pull within 5 in the last minute.

Hinsdale Central coach Nick Latorre had implored the Red Devils to finish and they did. Trevor Hamilton's six free throws in the last 27 seconds cinched it, 59-51.

"Before the game Coach told us that it is a trap game," said Hamilton, who scored a game-high 21 points and made 13 of 16 free throws.

"We could easily go from the highest of highs - beating your rival with a huge crowd - to not having a crowd, coming out flat. So he made sure that we came out with energy and I thought we did."

Hinsdale Central (7-14) sped to a lead but Glenbard East (7-15) recovered, behind only 13-10 after one quarter.

In the second quarter the Red Devils' Justin Bradshaw found a void at the top of the key against Glenbard East's zone defense, hitting three straight 3-point baskets and four overall.

That spread the lead marginally but led to better inside looks for Mac Quast and hustling Charlie Lyne, and the Red Devils led 34-21 at halftime.

That was nothing. Leading 43-31 after three quarters, Hinsdale Central - with a push by 6-foot-6 sophomore Ryan Isaacson - moved it to 49-33 at 5:01 of the fourth quarter. A Rams rally seemed difficult as rugged forward James Peterkin fouled out at that point.

"The message was to keep fighting. I know we were down a lot," said Glenbard East forward Korvante Davis, who joined Peterkin and sophomore guard DaRon Hall each with 12 points.

Using trapping defense that helped cause 6 fourth-quarter turnovers, and attacking the basket offensively, Davis, Hall, Alijah Nelson and Kenny Adams paced a 15-4 run that cut Hinsdale Central's lead to 53-48 with 45 seconds to play.

"We were in a similar situation last Saturday (a 74-65 loss at Proviso West)," Latorre said. "We were up 18 in the third quarter, so we had talked about not having that happen again."

Hamilton ensured it didn't, hitting 6 straight free throws.

"I thought we finished well," he said, and in defeat Glenbard East coach Scott Miller believed that, too.

"I thought our man defense was probably the best it's been in awhile," he said. "We didn't quit, and we easily could have quit."

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