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Huff, Glenbard West knock off Young

Braden Huff nodded his head, glanced at the scoreboard, and smiled.

Huff and Glenbard West have dominated all comers this season, more than validating their preseason No. 1 ranking. If there was any creeping doubt left, it was how the Hilltoppers would stack up against a city team.

Huff wouldn't say that Saturday was a statement game. A statement, though, was made.

The 6-foot-11 Gonzaga recruit dominated with his 31 points and commanding presence. Princeton commit Caden Pierce was the perfect sidekick with 25 points. The No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Hilltoppers, in front of a capacity crowd that tilted heavy in Glenbard West's favor, beat fifth-ranked Whitney Young in emphatic fashion 74-59 at the "When Sides Collide" Shootout at Benet.

"I think it just shows that we can compete with the top teams in the state and the city," said Huff, who shot 11-for-15 and also grabbed seven rebounds. "Before this, we'd been tested, but people questioned if we could compete with the city teams. This is a big win for us."

Huff, playing in front of Gonzaga assistant coach Roger Powell Jr. and against 6-8 Miami recruit AJ Casey of Young - rated ahead of him in national rankings - wasted no time making his presence felt.

He had two dunks in the game's first 70 seconds, and scored 10 points in the first quarter as the Hilltoppers (22-0) jumped out to a 15-5 lead with an 11-0 run.

"Braden set the stage for us to be confident," Glenbard West coach Jason Opoka said. "He was aggressive, active and really disciplined with his patience."

Huff also showcased a grown man's game. He had a number of pump-fakes, spin moves and patient drives to the rim. Young had no answer. Huff's 3-pointer with 5:45 left in the second quarter gave Glenbard West a 28-13 lead, and it was 34-27 at half.

Huff then scored eight straight points in the third quarter, a personal 8-0 run, with a driving three-point play around Casey, tip-in of a Bobby Durkin miss and 3-pointer to make it 47-33.

"He's been working on his positioning and footwork throughout the summer," Opoka said. "This today was an opportunity to display that on a big stage."

The same can be said for Pierce.

The 6-foot-6 guard scored nine of his 25 points in the first quarter with a 3-pointer and the first of his two dunks in transition. As the game wore on he showed no hesitancy to take his defender off the dribble.

"Early on, I think everyone's adrenaline was pumping, huge crowd, my teammates found me, I hit a three early and I think that settled me and settled the team down. From there I just had confidence," said Pierce, who shot 8-for-9 from the field, 8-for-8 on free throws and also had three assists and five steals. "I felt I could take my guy off the bounce. My teammates found me and coach put me in position. They were calling plays and I was going downhill to get to the basket."

Casey scored 20 points, 12 of those coming in the second quarter, and NIU recruit Xavier Amos added 17 for Young (14-7). Durkin added 11 and Paxton Warden seven for Glenbard West.

The Hilltoppers, who beat Simeon over the summer, were supposed to play Young at the Ridgewood Shootout, but did not get that chance.

Pierce looked forward to the opportunity to play a marquee Public League that's won three state titles since 2008 on a big stage.

"I feel there were a few people that were questioning if we could really play with the top teams in the state," Pierce said. "We've been tested, but I think beating a team of this caliber shows that we can play with anybody."

Huff, for one, loved doing it in front of a huge Glenbard West backing and student section that made it sound like a home game.

"It seemed like the whole town came out," Huff said. "They were really loud. We fed off that energy."

Glenbard West's Caden Pierce sinks a reverse layup in front of Whitney Young's Marcus Pigram Saturday at Benet Academy in Lisle. Jon Cunningham/for Shaw Local
Glenbard West's Braden Huff (34) drives past Whitney Young's A.J. Casey (0) during a game on Jan. 22, 2022 at Benet Academy in Lisle. Jon Cunningham/for Shaw Local
Glenbard West's Andrew Dauksas drives as Whitney Young's Marcus Overstreet defends during a game on Jan. 22, 2022 at Benet Academy in Lisle. Jon Cunningham/for Shaw Local
Glenbard West's Caden Pierce (3) tries to steal the ball from Whitney Young's Marcus Pigram (4) during a game on Jan. 22, 2022 at Benet Academy in Lisle. Jon Cunningham/for Shaw Local
Glenbard West's Braden Huff (34) grabs a rebound in front of Whitney Young's Xavier Amos (5) during a game on Jan. 22, 2022 at Benet Academy in Lisle. Jon Cunningham/for Shaw Local
Glenbard West's Bobby Durkin (33) moves to the basket while tightly guarded by Whitney Young's Dalen Davis during a game on Jan. 22, 2022 at Benet Academy in Lisle. Jon Cunningham/for Shaw Local
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