Buffalo Grove downs Rolling Meadows
Friday night at Rolling Meadows, numerous college coaches and prep scouting services were on had to watch two up and coming boys basketball stars - Rolling Meadows sophomore sensation Max Christie and Buffalo Groves freshman Cam Kraft.
Neither disappointed.
But Tom Trieb, Buffalo Grove's do-everything senior, was the difference in the Bison's 67-54 Mid-Suburban East win over the Mustangs.
"Trieb was the X-factor tonight," said Rolling Meadows coach Kevin Katovich. "He's so strong and athletic and he plays hard. You have to give him a lot of credit."
Trieb, still recovering from a broken hip suffered in the second game of the football season, scored 13 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and dished out 5 assists in the key East win.
The victory for the Bison and loss for the Mustangs made each team's record 4-4. The Bison, though, cleared some space at the top of the race, moving to 2-0 while Rolling Meadows is 1-1.
"The hip still bothers me though," said Trieb. "But, when I get out on the court the adrenaline kicks in. I'm glad to have so many good teammates surrounding me."
One of those was junior Nathan Cole, who scored 16 of his team-high 20 points in the second half. Craft had 15 points to go with 8 rebounds.
The Bison held a commanding 39-28 rebounding advantage.
"We were able to score from different parts on the floor and that made a big difference because we were able to post up and go inside," said Cole.
Trailing 23-20 with 2:28 left in the first half, reserve guard Ethan Soifer connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the score and then gave Buffalo Grove the lead at 26-23 with 1:01 left in the first half.
The Bison built a 47-31 lead with 1:24 left in the third quarter as Cole hit for 8 points and Craft 7.
Buffalo Grove opened a 51-34 lead with 6:23 left in the game.
Christie (30 points, 11 rebounds) and Sean Nolan (7 points, 6 rebound), combined for a 15-2 run to narrow the gap with 3:09 left in the game.
Cole hit for three straight baskets to end the threat.
"This was a big game for us," said Bison coach Keith Peterson. "To win our first two conference games on the road is a big factor. Tonight we talked about getting the ball inside. In the second half we started hitting some 3s and that helped open the inside game."
And the Trieb factor?
"Trieb was an exceptional passer today," said Peterson. "He's still trying to work himself into shape. He did so much on the floor keeping the other guys going, diving for balls, and getting rebounds."
This game was big for me," said Trieb. "In four years I've never won in this gym. "I like to do things on the floor to help us win. I just adjust to the game's flow."