GBN uses second-half surge to roll to regional title

Team effort on both ends of court carries Spartans past Lake Park

Glenbrook North senior guard Alex Dragicevich calmly walked out onto the court during the halftime break Friday night and started to practice free throws. 

After guiding his team to a 21-16 halftime lead with his eight first-half points and two blocks, he told his team that they needed to step up in the second half.

Not only did his teammates respond, but each member of the Spartans got the chance to step up during the game and on the ladder after the game to cut down a piece of the net.

Dragicevich scored a team-high 14 points and blocked three shots as Glenbrook North, the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A Niles West Sectional, defeated No. 9 Lake Park 52-38 in the Addison Trail Regional championship game.

The Spartans play No. 12 seed Loyola at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the sectional semifinals.

“They did a nice job of penetrating the lane, so we started to collapse on them,” Dragicevich said.  “It was an intense game and I tried to keep our guys in line. We are a young team, so I just try to help out anyway I can.”

The third quarter could not have started out any better for Glenbrook North on both sides of the ball.  The Spartans’ defense held Lake Park scoreless for the first 5 minutes 45 seconds of the quarter on 0-for-5 shooting while forcing three turnovers. On offense, the Spartans shot 5 for 10 during the quarter and went on an 11-0 run that stretched their lead to 32-16.  Senior Peter Szostak scored six of his 14 points during the run. 

“Offensively, we needed to move the ball better,” Glenbrook North coach Dave Weber said.  “We were playing one-on-one ball and I told my team at halftime that if that’s how we are going to play, we might as well turn in our uniforms now. We started to move the ball in the second half, which resulted in open threes and easy layups.”

Senior guard Austin Weber was held scoreless in the first half but was a big part of the Spartans’ run in the second half, scoring eight points. With 1 minute 45 seconds left in the third and Glenbrook North leading 32-19, Weber swished a three-pointer and then applied pressure on defense to force a Lake Park turnover. On the ensuing play, Dragicevich took the ball to the arc and swished another three to make it a 38-19 game with just over one minute left in the period.

The loudest cheer of the night though came after Glenbrook North inbounded the ball to begin the second quarter. The Spartans swung the ball around and found Dragicevich in the lane, where he soared above the rim for a dunk. The Spartans’ fans let out a loud roar and gave him a standing ovation.

The game had an upbeat tempo throughout and there were many non-calls from the referees that got the crowd shouting. On one Glenbrook North possession in the second quarter, Szostak went up for a layup and got pushed down hard in mid-air, but no foul was called.  This sparked a heated response from the crowded Spartan cheering section and Coach Weber.

“That’s the way this regional has been refereed,” Weber said.  “I told my guys that they just have to play through it and they did for the most part.”

Junior forward Tommy Hanrahan scored seven points for the Spartans, while Andrew McAuliffe netted six off the bench, which included a dominant fourth-quarter dunk. The Spartans shot 11 for 19 from the field in the second half.

“Both Loyola and Mather are really good teams, so we have to be ready,” Weber said before knowing his sectional opponent. “We are very excited to be there.”