Gators solve C-G defense in rematch

Crystal Lake South’s Nick Geske puts up a shot in the second quarter against Cary-Grove’s Jake Bianchi (24) and Zach Taylor on Friday during their FVC Valley matchup. The Gators defeated the Trojans, 48-44. (Lauren M. Anderson – landerson@shawmedia.com)

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CARY – The Crystal Lake South boys basketball team had a month to come up with an answer for Cary-Grove’s offense.

The Gators’ preparation paid off Friday when they avenged their eight-point loss to the Trojans in the Jacobs Holiday Tournament with a defense-powered, 48-44 Fox Valley Conference Valley Division win.

“Their extended 1-3-1 [zone defense] was better this time than when we played them at the Christmas tournament,” C-G coach Ralph Schuetzle said. “They were well prepared.”

The Gators (3-11 overall, 1-2 FVC Valley) forced 12 turnovers, which they turned into several transition baskets to avoid C-G’s own staunch 2-3 zone defense.

“We went back to our fundamentals on our defense, and on the offensive end we were trying to execute against their zone,” South coach Dan DeBruyker said.

With 2:46 left in regulation C-G senior Jake Bianchi hit a baseline jumper to tie the score at 39, but South re-gained and extended their lead with a flurry of free throws to capture the win.

Bianchi led all scorers with 21 points on 6 of 7 shooting from the free throw line and three three-pointers.

The Gators scored 17 points on 20 trips to the free-throw line, and junior Nick Geske led the way with 14 points on 9 of 9 free-throw shooting.

South forced a turnover with 18 seconds to play in the first half, which Eric Schiller turned into a layup on the other end to extend the Gators’ lead to 21-17.

A straightaway three from Bianchi on the ensuing possession pulled the Trojans to within one at the half.

That fire returned in the second half as C-G (4-12, 1-1) went on a 9-2 run in the first 3:37 to go up by six points.

“At halftime we started getting down, and [coach DeBruyker] just told us to keep our heads in the game,” Geske said. “He told us to keep up the intensity like we had in the first quarter.”

A putback from South’s Max Meitzler ended a smaller Gators run with 3.5 seconds left in the third quarter to tie the score at 33.

Casey Snodgrass drilled a baseline three with 44 seconds left in the game to bring C-G within two, but more South free throws kept the celebration short.

Schuetzle commended the Gators’ late-play.

“That extended 1-3-1 pretty much the whole second half ... we just couldn’t crack it.” Scheutzle said. “They got more easy baskets than we did.”

Four South players scored eight or more points.

“That’s exactly what we said in [the locker room]. It’s a team win,” DeBruyker said. “Nick Geske did a great job with the free throws at the end, but ultimately a lot of different guys did a lot of different things and that was what we needed to do.”