Glenbard West sneaks past Naperville North in overtime
Most players talk about not wanting their seasons to end.
Evan Taylor meant it.
The Southern Illinois University-bound senior scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Glenbard West to a 57-51 overtime victory over Naperville North in Wednesday's Class 4A Glenbard West regional semifinals in Glen Ellyn.
Taylor - who became the program's all-time leading scorer early in the game - scored 12 points in the final eight minutes, including the bucket that put the Hilltoppers ahead to stay with 1:20 left in overtime. Glenbard West made six straight free throws in the final 20 seconds, and all 13 attempts for the game, to keep the Huskies at bay.
Taylor just made it past future Missouri Valley Conference foe Tom Welch, Naperville North's Loyola recruit who had 22 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.
"This game meant a lot because I really wanted to keep playing with my team," Taylor said. "There was a lot of hype leading up to this game. We had a lot of up and down stretches, but we didn't give up."
A three-point play by Caden Phillips and Taylor's 3-pointer put the No. 6 Hilltoppers (20-9) ahead 44-41 with 2:52 left in regulation, but Huskies sophomore Grant Johnson nailed his own 3-pointer. Neither team scored in the final two minutes, sending the game to overtime.
Glenbard West led 49-46 midway through the extra period, only to be answered by Riley Thompson's third 3-pointer for the Huskies.
"I'm so proud of all the kids," said Huskies coach Gene Nolan. "They won with class, they lost with dignity. Just an awesome group of kids, and that's the biggest win of all."
Eleventh-seeded Naperville North (18-12), which made only 3 of 11 free throws, surged to a 9-point second-quarter lead as Welch scored 10 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the first half. Griffin Foster, who had 15 points, hit two of his five 3-pointers coming out of halftime to help Glenbard West tie it early in the third quarter.
"I didn't play at all last year, so this is my first high school playoff game," Foster said. "I just wanted to make the most of it."
Glenbard West advances to a 7 p.m. Friday regional final against West Suburban Silver rival Lyons Twp. (22-9), the fourth seed that split with the Hilltoppers in two games this season.
Welch, one of two Naperville North seniors along with Netzah Aldana, closes a stellar three-year varsity run.
"The guys left it all out there, I left it all out there, so you can't be disappointed in that," he said. "It's been great. It's sad I can't wear the jersey anymore."
Twitter: @kevin_schmit