BOYS BASKETBALL: Spartans Beat Reigning Class 2A Champ Hales in Opener

Glenbrook North has a faster team this year and they needed that speed in the season opening 53-43 win over Hales Franciscan.

Hales won the Class 2A state title last year and are among the early favorites to repeat, but Chicago’s 2A Spartans struggled to score in the fourth quarter against Northbrook’s Class 4A Spartans on Monday in Niles West’s Billy Schnurr Basketball Tournament.

After featuring three players 6'7" or taller in the front court last year, GBN only returns 6'8" junior Andrew McAuliffe inside. After missing a week of practice due to an injury, McAuliffe’s rust showed. He picked up four fouls in limited minutes and scored just five points.

Without McAuliffe, GBN was forced into to a smaller, quicker lineup that ended up matching Hales’ athleticism well.

“Actually, that team we had out there was good against them because we do have pretty good team speed this year and we needed,” GBN coach David Weber said. “Going small against them was not a bad thing.”

Senior guard Adam Chick led North with 13 points and senior forward Mark Johnson had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Chick and Johnson are two of just a handful of returners that saw significant playing time last year.

Junior guard Kurt Karis (7 points) runs the point after seeing time last year and having three point guards leave the team. Last year’s starter Joey Prince moved to California, his backup Ethan Schmidt quit the team and reserve Cory Dolins moved into Niles West’s district and is starting for the Wolves.

Senior forward Mitchell Lev (8 points, 8 rebounds) and senior guard Trevor Ponticelli (5 points) will see bigger roles this year, but McAuliffe will be the anchor of the team. McAuliffe is a Division 1 prospect who can work the ball inside and has good shooting range as well. Winning without McAuliffe playing a factor is a good sign.

“It shows us that we got a deep team,” Lev said. “It’s going to be a team effort this year, but Andrew is a great player. We’re going to need everything we can get out of him this year.”

Hales is ranked in the Chicago Tribune’s preseason top 20, making the team better than the usual season opening opponent.

“Usually we aren’t challenged like this in our first game,” Johnson said. “It’s a nice bench mark to see how we’re playing and how we can improve.”

Hales jumped out to an early 13-6 lead, but standout forward Eddie Alcantara (12 points) picked up his second foul late in the first and went to the bench. GBN made a run sparked by McAuliffe’s only two field goals. The game was tied at 14 after one quarter and North built a 26-17 lead before Alcantara returned.

Hales rallied in the third quarter, tying the game at 36 late in the quarter, but GBN dominated the fourth with stout defense and a patient, ball possession offense. Hales didn’t score for the first five minutes of the fourth and finished with just five in the quarter after a meaningless three from Alcantara at the buzzer.

It was a balanced team effort from GBN, and Weber and his players all said there are no egos on this squad.

“This is a unique group of seniors in that they’re very unselfish,” Weber said. “We’re going to struggle at times scoring, but that’s where Andrew fits into that. That’s the other piece to this puzzle is him being able to convert inside.”

North continues tournament play at Niles West against Hersey at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

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GLENBROOK NORTH

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53

HALES FRANCISCAN

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43