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Schaumburg's team effort enough to down Wheeling

Fifteen victories and a winning record on the season.

Schaumburg boys basketball coach Wade Heisler said that those two objectives were goals for his team this year, and they achieved both in a win over Wheeling Tuesday night.

The host Saxons defeated the Wildcats 45-36 in a Mid-Suburban League crossover, and Heisler added that the game was all about senior leadership.

Seniors DJ Wilson (game-high 18 points) and Nicholas Doroskin (14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals) paced Schaumburg.

"We're sure going to miss DJ and Nicholas (next year)," said Heisler. "They're both tough kids, great kids who give us a lot. They had good nights, and I thought Leon Eberhardt (another senior) played awesome and kind of sparked us. Really, everybody on the team did what they needed to do for us to get a win."

Joshua Hutchinson scored 9 points for Wheeling, while teammate Aima Igiehon was strong on the boards with 10 rebounds.

"The effort is there," said Wildcats coach Tom Antosz. "The guys gave one thousand percent tonight, and I'm proud of them. We've just to execute some of the little things better to make sure our next game is a W."

"It was a lot of little things today. I think we missed four or five layups, and we gave up three or four 'and ones'. When you lose by nine, those possessions matter, and that's something that we harp on with the guys."

Wilson was on fire early, scoring 7 consecutive points to give the Saxons a 9-4 lead after one period.

The Wildcats, though, hit 4 3-pointers midway through the second to take the lead.

"Our guys fight," said Antosz. "That is something we take pride in, and we're going to continue to fight."

The game turned the Saxons' way after halftime on the third quarter effort of Doroskin, who connected for 7 points, including 3 layups in the paint, as Schaumburg (15-12) took an 8-point advantage heading in to the final stanza.

Then Wheeling climbed back into it in the fourth, and when junior Zach Zalenski swished in a 3, the score stood at just 40-36 Schaumburg.

"Wheeling is a very good team," said Heisler, "and their number 15 (Igiehon) is just a monster on the glass. They gave us a lot of problems. They shoot the ball well, and they do a lot of things well."

The Wildcats couldn't get any closer, however, and Schaumburg was able to play keep away for most of the final minutes with some great ball movement.

The Saxons closed the game out at the foul line with late free throws from Wilson and Eberhardt.

Igiehon added 7 points for Wheeling, while Zalenski finished with 6.

"I'm really proud of our guys tonight," said Heisler. "They've worked really hard to achieve their goals, and I'm happy for them. Everyone was involved and excited tonight and it was a great night overall."

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