Ebube, Mundelein roll by Carmel
Mundelein senior Scottie Ebube breaks the mold physically.
He is the classic hybrid athlete. He has the body of a linebacker and the feet of a ballerina.
Combine that in a 6-foot-8 frame, he wreaks havoc on the court.
He altered the calculus in the Battle of Mundelein on Saturday, with his nimble, powerful forays to the basket or his dominant presence on the block.
Even when Carmel players had a decent look at the rim, they always intuitively looked around to see where Ebube was lurking.
"I always love to play defense and change shots," he said.
Ebube had 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots in the Mustangs' impressive 80-49 nonconference boys basketball win over the Corsairs.
Mundelein (13-1) won its 13th consecutive game, matching the season-opening winning streak of last season. The Mustangs dominated Waukegan Friday night in the first round of the North Suburban Conference Tournament.
Ebube scored 10 points during a dominant second quarter performance Saturday as the Mustangs seized control with an 11-0 run for a commanding 38-22 halftime advantage.
The Southern Illinois recruit demonstrated his two-way abilities with his dazzling inside post moves, footwork and rim protection.
"I like to play like Bam Adebayo, with the shot blocks and the playmaking if I have to when teams try to double me," he said.
"I have a lot of great teammates, we play really together."
Guard Trey Baker scored a game-high 21 points. He hit three 3-pointers during a third-quarter flurry and also dished 4 assists.
Baker went on a scoring rampage during a magnificent second half run as he scored 15 points in the third quarter as Mundelein built a 25-point lead.
He also responded to the absence of guard Conor Enright, who scored 5 quick points though left with a foot injury in the closing moments of the first quarter and did not return.
"Conor is a big part of our team, and seeing him go down, I knew I had to step up," Baker said. "I felt his presence on the court. I just wanted to make plays for my teammates and get our energy back.
"When a guy goes down, especially somebody like Conor who is a big part of our team, it's always the next guy up. We had to have that mentality and play together and play hard as a team, on both sides of the floor.
Guard Ty Moenning and forward Chris Martin scored 8 points apiece for the Mustangs.
Carmel (5-9) played sharp and free through the opening 12 minutes, trailing just 22-18 midway through the second quarter. Guard Bryce Moore showed why he is one of the best players in Lake County, flashing athleticism and skill.
He finished with 12 points. Guard Jalen Burton led the Corsairs with 15 points.
"In the beginning we were playing pretty well, defending well and making some shots," Carmel coach Zack Ryan said. "We had a couple of bad turnovers, which against a good team is very hard to come back against."