Boys Basketball

St. Charles North's size frustrates Wheaton North

Posted January 31, 2020 12:00 am

By Jerry Fitzpatrick

St. Charles North's Thomas Kellen (33) shoots the ball during a home game against Wheaton North on Jan. 31. Sandy Bressner /Shaw Media Illinois

St. Charles North went big to beat Wheaton North 66-44 in St. Charles Friday.

North Stars coach Tom Poulin directed guards Luke Scheffers and Christian Czerniak to get the ball inside to 6-foot-9 Bradley-bound center Connor Linke and 6-5 senior Thomas Kellen throughout the second half after the two were limited to 6 first-half points combined.

Linke scored 10 third-quarter points and 14 of his game-high 18 points in the second half. Kellen scored 9 of his 11 points after halftime.

“Coach got on us at halftime and said we have a 6-9 center and they are playing behind the post,” Czerniak said. “We needed to throw the ball inside more.”

Linke and Kellen scored 14 points as St. Charles North (15-5, 7-1) outscored Wheaton North (10-10, 2-6) in the third quarter 17-3, turning a 29-28 halftime deficit into a 45-32 lead.

When the defense collapsed on Linke in the paint, he passed out to the perimeter for fourth-quarter 3-pointers by Colin Nelson and Max Love.

“When we tried to focus on the big guy, then they're making corner threes,” Wheaton North coach Dave Brackmann said. “And if you try to focus on the point guard, they go to the big guy. They're a super talented, versatile team and they're really hard to guard.”

The Falcons sank shots in the first half but could not maintain the pace. Wheaton North made 11 of 23 first-half field-goal attempts and 5 of 10 from 3-point range, led by Garrett Horner. The 6-4 senior sank four 3-pointers en route to 18 points.

The third quarter was a different story. The Falcons missed 9 of 10 field goals. Their only points came courtesy of Horner's fifth 3-pointer.

“We had a little more of a purpose as far as switching and getting out on people and not getting out on others,” Poulin said of his team's second-half defense. “And we forced a couple of turnovers.”

Scheffers scored 12 of his 15 points in the first quarter. He added 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Czerniak scored 8 points and Nelson and Love each contributed 6 points.

Senior Xander Mueller scored 10 of his 15 points in the first half for Wheaton North.

Wheaton North's Zach Lorentsen (right) looks for an opening from under the basket during a game at St. Charles North on Jan. 31. Sandy Bressner /Shaw Media Illinois

Wheaton North's Garrett Horner goes up for a shot during a game at St. Charles North on Jan. 31. Sandy Bressner /Shaw Media Illinois

Wheaton North's Xander Mueller shoots three points during a game at St. Charles North on Jan. 31. Sandy Bressner /Shaw Media Illinois

Wheaton North's Garrett Horner (35) is congratulated for a three-pointer by teammate Xander Mueller (44) during a game at St. Charles North on Jan. 31. Sandy Bressner /Shaw Media Illinois

The Wheaton North bench erupts after a three-pointer is hit during a game at St. Charles North on Jan. 31. Sandy Bressner /Shaw Media Illinois

St. Charles North's Luke Scheffers dribbles the ball during a home game against Wheaton North on Jan. 31. Sandy Bressner /Shaw Media Illinois

St. Charles North's Connor Linke (left) gets the ball to the basket during a home game against Wheaton North on Jan. 31. Sandy Bressner /Shaw Media Illinois

St. Charles North's Christian Czerniak (center) looks to shoot the ball during a home game against Wheaton North on Jan. 31. Sandy Bressner /Shaw Media Illinois

St. Charles North's Connor Linke (center) gets caught under the basket by Wheaton North's Connor Haake (12) and Xander Mueller (44) during a game at St. Charles North on Jan. 31. Sandy Bressner /Shaw Media Illinois

Article Comments

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.