Barrington puts it all together in win over Conant

Barrington is back and ready to roll at the Hinkle Holiday Classic at Jacobs next week.

The Broncos declared their fitness Friday night at the expense of visiting Conant in a decisive Mid-Suburban West 60-37 boys basketball win in which they asserted their superior depth, rebounding and firepower in bouncing back from their only loss of the season.

In addition, head coach Bryan Tucker likes the way his Broncos (7-1, 2-1) are playing defense.

"Right from the start," the defense was stifling, he noted. "We were really happy with that."

And right from the start, they shot the lights out. Junior forward Damian Zivak, a role player a year ago, was high-scorer with 23 points and did not miss a shot until late in the second quarter after making 6 in row to get going. Barrington was up 22-5 at the end of the first quarter after scoring the last 18 points in the period, many in transition off turnovers.

"I had a decent game," Zivak said modestly afterward. "I felt pretty good."

He provides the same lift for his teammates. Just ask his coach.

"He had a really great offensive game," doing everything, said Tucker, including hitting the boards, keeping misses alive, setting up other players for open looks and performing with the same intensity at the other end.

Barrington's early, decisive surge was keyed by Zivak's shooting, but included Connor Keenan's driving hoop, his lob for a hoop to Zivak and, off the bench, Charlie Loomis' 3-pointer.

Conant had 14 points and 15 turnovers at halftime and trailed by 23. So much of that was keyed by the ball-hawking of Aaron Sarkar, whose 7 points belied his overall contribution. Loomis and the bench contributed key points and minutes, factors that will be necessary in the rugged Jacobs tournament next week. Barrington opens with Streamwood, which "has been putting up a lot of points lately," Tucker noted.

"We just have to keep practicing hard and use this momentum," next week, Zivak said, going into the tournament where Barrington has a history of top-4 finishes.

Youthful Conant got 8 points from Christian Armstrong off the bench and some late, long-distance sharpshooting from him and Ryan Blakely. The Cougars, desperately seeking a win (0-7, 0-3) open the York Tournament next Thursday against Max Christie and Rolling Meadows.