Glenbrook North gives Prospect lots to handle
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Glenbrook North's Ryan Cohen makes an outlet pass after stealing the ball from Prospect's Jake Parisi during Tuesday's game in Northbrook. Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer
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Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.comGlenbrook North's Sam Lappin, left, plays tight defense on Prospect's Nolan Murray during Tuesday's game in Northbrook.
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Prospect's Alex Georgakas, right, tries to make a move past Glenbrook North's Owen Giannoulias during Tuesday's game in Northbrook. Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer
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Prospect's Cole Chapman, right, is met by Glenbrook North defender Sam Lappin during Tuesday's game in Northbrook. Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer
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Glenbrook North's Josh Fridman, left, gets fouled by Prospect's Drew Terpins during Tuesday's game in Northbrook. Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer
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Prospect's Jake Parisi, left, maintains possession on an attempted steal by Glenbrook North's Owen Giannoulias during Tuesday's game in Northbrook. Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer
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Glenbrook North's Owen Giannoulias, left, attempts a shot against Prospect's Charlie Gilmer during Tuesday's game in Northbrook. Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer
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Glenbrook North boys basketball coach Quin Hayes leads the Spartans during Tuesday's game against Prospect. Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer
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Prospect boys basketball coach Brad Rathe holds the ball after it bounced toward the sideline during Tuesday's game against Glenbrook North. Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer
Nearly everyone had trickled out of Glenbrook North's hallways, leaving a few coaches, scorers table stragglers, basketball junkies.
They rehashed Glenbrook North's 71-51 nonconference boys basketball victory Tuesday over visiting Prospect in Northbrook.
Lots of 20-point wins come pretty easy, one man said. This one was hard-fought.
One wouldn't expect less from Prospect, gritty and hardened by Mid-Suburban League play. But Glenbrook North, now 11-0, gets after it defensively and offensively is a pick-your-poison problem.
"We're going to come out guarding, and then on the offensive end anybody can get hot on any given night, that's the way we feel. I think a lot of that is because we're selfless, we're unselfish, and they all play for each other," Glenbrook North coach Quin Hayes confirmed.
The Spartans, who ended 5-6 Prospect's four-game winning streak, shot 26-of-44 from the field and landed four players in double figures, led by junior guard Owen Giannoulias with 19 points.
Post player Patrick Schaller had paced Glenbrook North's recent efforts, but with the Knights' 6-foot-3 Cole Chapman applying pressure the ball found its way to point guard Josh Fridman for 15 points, shooting guard Ryan Cohen for 10 and, off the bench, junior guard Sam Lappin for 11 points.
"It's everything when a team has guys down the bench that can come out and give you 10-plus points and continue to play the defense that we play," said Giannoulias, who shot 7-of-10 from the floor. "It prevents us from having those off nights that a lot of teams do have, so we've just got to keep it going."
Plus, the Spartans committed just 6 turnovers -- 3 through three quarters -- while forcing 16.
Prospect came out fast behind seniors Chapman and Alex Georgakas, as the Knights trailed only 17-14 after a quarter and 33-25 at halftime.
They crept within 40-35 on Georgakas' lefty lay-in midway through the third quarter when Glenbrook North turned on the jets. Lappin's pullup jumper started a 12-0 run to close the third quarter with a 52-35 lead.
"I just thought we kind of ran out of energy and that kind of fight we had coming out to start the game," said Georgakas, whose 21 points led the Knights, ahead of Charlie Gilmer with 13 and Chapman with 8.
"We challenged our guys at halftime," Hayes said. "We've got to pick it up, we've got to be a step faster in every aspect on the defensive end, and I think we did that."
Georgakas and sophomore Ben Schneider had Prospect trading points with the Spartans early in the fourth quarter, but a final surge by Glenbrook North's Gavin Schooley, Giannoulias and Schaller allowed Hayes to empty his bench with 1:29 left and a 69-49 lead.
If things work out for both teams, they could face each other next week in the Wheeling Hardwood Classic semifinals. Tuesday night gave Prospect something to work on.
"Their pressure just kind of wore us down," said Knights coach Brad Rathe. "We were handling it and we were getting shots out of it and still when we broke it we got good looks. That wears on you and we need to do a better job of getting into our offense and handling pressure."
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