GBN Boys Basketball Survives Hot Shooting Corliss

In the end Glenbrook North held off Corliss with a strong fourth quarter, but the way they got there was anything but typical.

The Spartans jumped out to a huge early lead and withstood an incredible shooting display from Corliss to win 75-65 in the Schnurr Thanksgiving Tournament at Niles West.

"The best shooting display in my coaching career," GBN coach Dave Weber said. "In all the years I've never seen a team shoot the ball that well for that long."

The Trojans took the lead 58-57 early in the fourth after one of their ten three-pointers, but the Spartans regained their composure and made a run to close out the game.

Tommy Hanrahan had a hot hand himself, making six threes and finishing with 29 points.

"Here at Niles West I've never really gotten it going, but tonight it felt good," Hanrahan said. "It felt good coming off my hand. They started going in and once I made one I got confident and when I started making a lot I felt that basket's as wide as the ocean."

"He's a streak shooter and I think it helped him to get a couple layups," Weber said of Hanrahan. He got a couple layups and it kind of opened it up for him. He's a great shooter and we can depend on him."

Andrew McAuliffe had another strong game with 27 points. The sophomore center is averaging 22 points in the team's three games so far.

Hanrahan appreciates what playing with McAuliffe and the other big men, Tommy Fernitz and Peter Szostak, does for him.

"They cause so much attention down low that I'm just standing there wide open for threes," Hanrahan said. "If I can make them, then I'll be open a lot."

Despite the big point totals from Hanrahan and McAuliffe, the buzz after the game was clearly about Corliss' shooting performance.

Weber said he thought his team actually played good defense. Most of the long-range makes were contested.

"They were contested threes and they just kept knocking them down," said Szostak, who had eight points. "There wasn't really a lot we could do. We tried not to collapse. We were able to compose ourselves, get back together and retake the lead."

GBN will be a dangerous team if Hanrahan can put up more offensive performances like he did Friday afternoon. McAuliffe will start to get more attention from defenses as teams become more aware of the blossoming sophomore, and the Spartans have the potential for a dangerous inside-outside game.

"When Tommy can hit shots they'll have to start running out on him which will open up the lane more for me and Peter," McAuliffe said. "Then we'll get more points off that."

The Spartans (3-0) close out the tournament Saturday with a game against Chicago Vocational.