Glenbard South winning by doing the little things
Glenbard South's boys basketball team has Glenbard East's number, and that number is 3.
Moving to 3-0 against the Rams this season, on its home court Glenbard South won the Upstate Eight Conference game 59-45 Friday in Glen Ellyn. The Raiders' 38-point second half cracked open a game tied at halftime.
Senior forward Tommy Powers, who led all players with 16 points and was 3 for 3 on 3-point shots, credited good, old-fashioned basketball.
"We really emphasize trying to work the ball around and get everyone some looks, and then just match it with intensity on defense," he said.
Powers, Cole Hardtke, Tavion Keith, Ryan Harrington and Nick Plaso all scored at least 8 points. Those who didn't - team captain Kevin Enright, reserve forwards Spencer Pyle, Ahmad Malik, sophomore call-up Aryton Temcio - all contributed something.
"I love (Glenbard East coach Scott Miller) to death and I worked for him for years," said Raiders coach Wade Hardtke, a Glenbard East graduate and former assistant. "He paid us a nice compliment at the end of the game, saying, 'You guys do a lot of the little things and that's what's making you successful.' And really that's been our thing all year long, that and defense."
Coming out of a 21-21 tie at halftime, Glenbard South (16-5, 9-3) opened the third quarter with a Harrington putback and a Keith basket leading to a 10-3 run and 38-28 margin entering the fourth.
"It's a big rivalry game," said Cole Hardtke, who scored 11 points, and snared 7 of his 8 rebounds in the third quarter.
"(Wade Hardtke) played there, the Millers used to baby-sit me, so we competed and we've been lucky to come out on the victorious side all three times."
Glenbard East (10-14, 6-7) began the fourth quarter with DaRon Hall's pullup jumper then Jeremy Johnson took an offensive charge, but Powers and the 6-foot-7 Harrington combined to bump the Raiders' lead back to 45-30.
Rams guard Alijah Nelson countered with consecutive 3s, Johnson hit another and Hall and Deon Cook scored on drives to cut the deficit to 52-43 with 2:12 to play. Glenbard South forced three straight turnovers to stall the rally.
"Honestly, I think that we're right there, like we're knocking on the door," said Nelson, whose 12 points fell between Hall's 13 and Johnson's 10 for the Rams. "But sometimes it feels like we're not right there and in some ways we've got to get there."
The second half was a departure from the first. Glenbard East led 13-11 after one quarter. In the second Cook stole the ball five times and forward Antonio Davis had 3 steals, but the Rams committed 7 turnovers themselves.
"I really think that was the key to the game," Miller said. "You're playing a good team, we kind of had them on the ropes a little bit and we weren't able to capitalize. So the effort's there, it's just the execution is not good."