Boys Basketball: Bolingbrook tops Glenbard West
By Eli Kaberon For Sun-Times Media December 20, 2012 10:42PM
Kendall Guyton moves to the inside for Bollingbrook. | Patrick Gleason~For Sun-Times Media
Updated: January 22, 2013 6:31AM
Bolingbrook is one of the tallest and longest teams in the state, with 10 players standing 6-foot-2 or taller. That length serves the Raiders well, allowing them to lock down on defense and dominate the boards as they did Thursday night.
Playing a 3-2 zone defense for the first time all season, Bolingbrook shut down host Glenbard West in the fourth quarter, pulling away for a 68-53 win.
The Raiders (7-2) registered 30 rebounds, nine steals and eight blocks, and forced the Hilltoppers to rely on three-pointers and free throws. Glenbard West (6-2) finished the game with seven two-point baskets.
“Everybody was just playing hard and moving hard defensively, trying to do the best we can,” Bolingbrook forward Ben Moore said. “We had some minor mishaps running the 3-2 for the first time, but we got it together in the second half and played the zone well.”
Raiders coach Rob Brost thought the switch to the 3-2 would serve his team well because of its size and the match-up problems it would present its opponent. Glenbard West is a small and quick team, and Brost thought that pressure would negate their speed and force errors.
The strategy worked.
Leading by just two points early in the fourth quarter, Bolingbrook’s defense took over the game, igniting a 19-6 game-closing run. The key, according to Brost, was forcing the ball out of Glenbard West guard Keith Hayes’ hands. Hayes finished with a game-high 30 points, but scored just two in the fourth quarter.
“We talked about it at halftime: If we hammer them on the glass and then finish around the rim, we’ll beat them by 20, and that’s exactly what happened,” Brost said. “We wanted to use our length and force them to put it on the floor.”
Moore especially was effective on both ends. The SMU recruit scored 18 points, grabbed 10 boards and blocked four shots, helping eliminate the Hilltoppers’ inside presence. Moore was one of four Raiders to score in double figures.
