advertisement

Warren lets upset of Glenbrook South get away

Even though Warren's boys basketball team is on the young side this season, the one thing that stands out is the Blue Devils' competitive nature on the court as they have a way of playing hard for most if not all the minutes every night.

But going against one of the better teams in the state on Friday night, the Blue Devils built a 10-point lead late in the third quarter and tried to hang on the rest of the way.

Warren let the game out of its hands in falling to host Glenbrook South 54-50 in a nonconference game in Glenview.

"We didn't have very good possessions after that," Warren coach Jon Jasnoch said. "(Glenbrook South) switched into a 1-2-2 and was trapping a little bit, which we go into every day in practice. It's a defense we run and we didn't grind our possessions. It's something we have to do - have good possessions. We took some bad shots, some early shots and tried to extend that lead. Instead of grinding the lead out a bit and make them play some defense, all of a sudden it was a tied ballgame. Then they made more free throws than us."

Warren (4-5) had taken a 24-23 halftime lead and extended it to a 10-point advantage, 40-30, after Sawyer Shrake (15 points) dropped a 3-pointer with 1:42 left. The Blue Devils held a 42-33 lead entering the final quarter.

The Titans (9-2) came out with an intense final eight minutes defensively and on offense as they outscored the Blue Devils 21-8. They went 5-for-5 from the field and 9-for-9 from the free throw line.

"We just didn't look at the rim and pass it back," Jasnoch added. "(Glenbrook South) executed their defense very well and we didn't execute our offense. It was a pretty close game and it came down to executing in that fourth quarter."

Glenbrook South scored 10 unanswered points in just over two plus minutes. Will King (9 points) made a layup that put the Titans ahead 43-42 with 5:50 remaining.

The lead changed each way on successive baskets and then Warren's Jordan Johnson hit a short jump shot for 2 of his 8 points, tying the game at 46-46 at the two-minute mark.

The Titans' Dom Martinelli, who had a game-high 26 points, dropped in six straight free throws and Gavin Morse (8 points) added the other two from the charity stripe for the four-point difference.

"We didn't come out with much fire the first three quarters," Glenbrook South coach Phil Ralston said. "I give them credit. My kids came out and played a fourth quarter. They fought and they were able to hold (Warren) off. Their kids were physical and I thought they shot the ball better than we thought. We just went back to our basics with pass cuts and screening while going to the basket."

Adnan Sarancic led Warren with a team-high 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.

"I just think (Glenbrook South) switched up to a matchup zone and it gave us a lot of problems," Sarancic said. "We just lost our composure at the end."

The Blue Devils will next play in the Pontiac Holiday tournament next week and will open up with Bloomington.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.