Grayslake North surprises Wauconda

Not a bad opening statement.

In fact, the Grayslake North boys basketball team couldn't think of a better way to start this COVID-shortened season.

On Tuesday night, the host Knights held on to beat the team that has been predicted to win its second-straight Northern Lake County Conference title, if there is an opportunity (all teams in the league need to play enough games) to win a conference title in about a month from now.

Grayslake North got by Wauconda, 52-49 to start the season 1-0. Wauconda, which won a share of the NLCC last year and advanced to the sectional championship and returns many of its key players, is now 0-1.

"They are expected to win the conference," Grayslake North senior guard Tony Hines said. "It was good to beat them on our home floor and give the expected conference champs a little taste of something."

Hines, who had 12 points, hit a key free throw in the final seconds to make the margin 3 points and Wauconda had a shot from long range just before the buzzer but couldn't connect.

"With eight practices, you never know what you're going to get, and Wauconda obviously has a lot coming back," Grayslake North coach Todd Grunloh said. "We made a lot of turnovers and mistakes down the stretch and it was nice to see the kids bounce back and I can't be more proud of how we finished the game.

"We talked about how this season is going to be a crap shoot, and we're all in this (strange COVID) situation. But Wauconda does have a lot of players coming back. (Wauconda guard) Nick Bulgarelli feels like he's been around for seven years. And (Wauconda guard) Benji Chung, in my opinion, is one of the best point guards in the conference. He absolutely destroyed us in all three games we played against them. But I thought our first 10 to 12 minutes were outstanding."

Grayslake North, which also got 13 points from Jacob Donohue and 12 points from Dominic Jankowski, set a strong tone early, getting out to an 18-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. It was a balanced effort as six different players scored for the Knights.

By halftime, the Grayslake North lead was only six points (30-24) and Wauconda cut its deficit to a single point in the third quarter. But the Knights never relinquished the lead.

It took Wauconda until about a minute left in the game to take its first lead, 49-48. The Bulldogs did so by pressing and forcing multiple Grayslake North turnovers.

But the Bulldogs ran out of gas, and had trouble getting offense once leading scorer Griffin Daun (16 points) fouled out.

"We fought back," Wauconda coach Scott Luetschwager said. "We tried pressuring them a bit and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. The fact that we were able to come back is something to look at. Everyone is just trying to get used to these games. Definitely a different environment right now."