Nick Niego understood the importance of Tuesday night’s game. The junior guard grew up wanting to play for Brother Rice. He knew about the Crusaders’ heated rivalry with Marist in “The Battle of Pulaski.” He had watched his older brothers take on the RedHawks while they played for Brother Rice, and he waited a long … More Double overtime. Battle of Pulaski. Brother Rice vs. Marist. Nick Niego takes 3-point shot heard around the South Side: ‘It was crazy.’

Ahmad Henderson did everything he could to score during the early stages of Friday night’s game, but his shots just weren’t connecting. The junior point guard came up empty on several drives to the basket, leading Brother Rice coach Bobby Frasor to believe he was forcing too much. At halftime, Frasor gave Henderson a simple … More ‘Ready for the big stage’: Brother Rice’s Ahmad Henderson couldn’t hit his shots early. But then the third quarter began vs. Providence.

Lemont’s Matas and Rokas Castillo have always had on-court chemistry. Turns out that comes naturally for twins. But it still took a while for the junior guards to develop the physicality needed to hit their full potential. Once the brothers were asked to become leaders ahead of this season, they hit the gym as frequently … More ‘They came out of the womb playing together’: Twin brothers Matas and Rokas Castillo keep up the pace as Lemont rolls past Richards.

Alex Gamboa is always talking. The Stagg senior is never shy, whether he’s on the court or sitting on the bench. If he doesn’t like what he sees, he’s going to let his teammates know about it. Gamboa has been that way since he was called up to the varsity team as a sophomore. It’s … More Alex Gamboa likes to talk. That’s fine with Stagg because the senior guard backs it up, just like he did at Lockport on Friday.

Before the basketball season began, Andrew’s Michael Morawski realized he had to adjust his game. Opponents had plenty of tape on the senior star’s ability to score from long range. With that in mind, he wanted to work on driving to the basket and adding a new level to his offense. It would have been … More He’s a shooter. That’s the scouting report on Andrew’s Michael Morawski. Reavis finds out he can still do that … but much more.

Ahead of Friday’s game, Marist coach Brian Hynes issued a challenge to junior guard Xavier Sulaiman — let your offense come from your defense. To say Sulaiman was up for the task would be an understatement. He spent the entire night stifling rallies from Joliet Catholic while kick-starting a few of his own. Full Article … More ‘He’s our glue’: X marks the spot for Marist as Xavier Sulaiman steps up his all-around game in comeback victory over Joliet Catholic

Andrean’s aggressive defense from the get-go Friday night made baskets scarce for Lake Central in the first quarter — but also provided all the fuel Brandon Escobedo needed. The junior forward scored seven points in the first two minutes of the second quarter, sparking a run that carried Lake Central to a 61-44 victory on … More Brandon Escobedo scores 7 of his 15 points in a critical 2-minute span and makes a pitch to be Lake Central’s leading man: ‘It’s a role I would love.’

The Richards boys basketball team was staring at a longer losing streak. After dropping their previous two games, the Bulldogs faced an eight-point deficit Tuesday night in the fourth quarter against Bremen. They were in danger of continuing conference play in ugly fashion. That’s when Deven Jiles took over. Full Article Here Casey Drottar is … More Dig deep. Play together. Play hard. Deven Jiles’ message came through loud and clear in the fourth quarter as Richards rallies past Bremen.

The Marist girls basketball team entered Wednesday physically depleted, having just suffered its first loss of the season to Bolingbrook the previous night. For junior guard Elise Ward, the exhaustion also was emotional. Ward spent Tuesday morning attending the funeral of her grandfather, who had been a huge supporter of her team. Dealing with so … More One day after attending her grandfather’s funeral, Marist’s Elise Ward seeks redemption against Lincoln-Way Central. ‘I’m doing it for him.’

The on-court chemistry between Laila Barakat and Gail Korbitz is apparent to anyone watching the Stagg girls basketball team. Call it a benefit of having played together since the first grade. The interplay between the two for the Chargers may seem troublesome for opposing coaches to figure out, but if you ask Barakat and Korbitz, … More Laila Barakat and Gail Korbitz don’t have to say anything for Stagg. ‘We just know,’ Korbitz says. It leads the Chargers past Shepard.