WEST CHICAGO – Mike Bibbs said there wasn’t much that was pretty about West Chicago’s boys basketball game against Glenbard South on Jan. 26.
Except the final outcome.
Despite making just 10 field goals and going 10-of-23 at the free-throw line, the Wildcats earned a 33-31 win against the Raiders.
“We did not shoot well at all. We shoot enough free throws in practice; we should not be shooting so bad from the free-throw line,” Bibbs said. “We won the hustle plays, that’s pretty much why we won. We out-hustled them and that was definitely a key.”
Here were four other keys to victory for West Chicago, which improved to 16-4 on the season:
1. Alec Dolan steps up
When Glenbard South (12-6) scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to take a 29-24 lead, Dolan went on a personal 5-0 run to tie the game. He hit a free throw while getting South starters Charlie Bair and Johnny LaPonte to pick up their fourth fouls (both fouled out later), then put back two misses.
“He gives a lot of energy when he comes in and that is not his first good game by a long shot. He’s contributed quite a bit for us this year, and he is that spark for us,” West Chicago head coach Bill Recchia said. “He battles hard inside, he’s got nice, long arms, and he finishes underneath the basket. I’m not surprised to see what he did.”
2. Defense does the job
Though the offense wasn’t up to par, the Wildcats’ defense did its job. Glenbard South struggled to get the ball inside to 6-foot-5 Billy Bair, 6-5 Charlie Bair, and 6-4 LaPonte. The Raiders’ height advantage was negated by West Chicago’s zone defense, which limited South to 12-of-39 shooting.
3. Getting to the line
West Chicago had its worst free-throw shooting performance of the season against Glenbard South. Despite the struggles, the Wildcats remained aggressive and got to the line nearly twice as many times as the Raiders.
“We’ve shot [free throws] poorly before and it’s cost us. I’m just grateful it didn’t cost us tonight,” Recchia said.
4. Hungry for next game
Bibbs had 15 points to lead the way against Glenbard South. Dolan and Tai Bibbs scored five points apiece, while Peter Dolan and Quinn Ricci had four each. The Wildcats will need a better all-around effort on Jan. 29 when they travel to Bartlett for an Upstate Eight Valley game.
West Chicago is leading the way with a 4-1 mark in the UEV, but will need a strong effort to pick up its second win against Bartlett this season.
“We definitely have to keep up the energy,” Mike Bibbs said. “We came out with good energy [on Jan. 26] and we got to take that up a level for the next game. That’s basically the key to how we play.”
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If you go
Who: West Chicago at Bartlett
What: Upstate Eight Valley boys basketball
When: 7 p.m. Jan. 29
Where: 701 Schick Road, Bartlett