In a home game on Saturday, Jan. 18, Naperville North’s varsity boys basketball team lost to the Oswego Panthers.
The Huskies (12-8) lost to the Panthers (8-10) by a score of 70-59.
With the Panthers winning the opening tip, the Huskies started on defense. Junior power forward Will Harvey (22) put the Huskies on the board after scoring two free throws. Junior guard Miles Okyne (4) made the Huskies’ first layup of the game. The Huskies started off slow and struggled to keep up with the Panthers’ vigorous offense. The first time out of the game was called by the Huskies with a score of 8-4. The Huskies’ performance was skittish as they grappled with the Panthers’ equally fierce offense and defense. The Panthers’ center (44) proved to be difficult to circumvent, and the Huskies attempted more 3-pointers to combat the Panthers’ strong defense near the basket. The Panthers took a strong lead as the first quarter came to a close with a score of 18-9. The Huskies started the second quarter with noticeably more rigor than the first, accompanied by a solid rebound by junior forward and guard Carson Loughlin (3). Junior point guard Max Steele (5) gave the Huskies their first successful 3-point shot of the game. Even with the Huskies’ newfound energy, the Panthers continued to build their lead, and the Huskies called their second time out with a score of 29-18. The Huskies rallied against the Panthers’ strategies and trailed them with a score of 32-27 at the end of the second quarter. Harvey reflected on his team’s performance during the first half.
“We started slow, but we had grit, and we were able to come back. We do need to focus on our defense, specifically our rebounds though,” Harvey said.
The Huskies started off strong in the third quarter and managed to block a 3-point attempt by the Panthers right off the bat. As the third quarter stretched on, the Huskies’ offense and defense became more aggressive as they battled to close the point gap. Consistent good plays and a 3-pointer by Okyne forced the Panthers to take their first time out. The Huskies put up a noticeably more aggressive defense as the quarter came to a close, plenty of which was contributed to by Loughlin. A tough fight from the Huskies put them down by only four points as the quarter came to a close. The score was 45-41. The Huskies began the final quarter with good defense. Junior guard Jack Zitko (12) made the basket to put the Huskies in the lead for the first time in the game. Loughlin made a 3-pointer almost immediately after. Even with their intense effort displayed, the Huskies were unable to get many clear shots. The Panthers took the lead back with a score of 55-52, and Okyne was fouled out of the game not too long after. Though Okyne was on the bench, the Huskies held their own. The score came to 57-54, a lead for the Panthers with only 10 seconds left on the clock. In the 10 seconds left, Zitko scored a 3-pointer and tied up the game, sending it into overtime. North started overtime on defense. Harvey made what appeared to be a solid block to the Panthers’ center, but the block was declared as goaltending. Soon after, Harvey was fouled out of the game. Despite the Huskies’ resolve, the point gap between the Huskies and the Panthers widened to 65-57 with only a minute left on the clock. The Huskies maintained their determination to make a comeback, but the game ended with a Huskie loss and a score of 70-59. Loughlin described how the team’s mindset changes throughout the game and affected how they played.
“We definitely came out too slow and with not a lot of energy. Throughout the game we built it, but the slow start killed us. Next game we need to come out harder and start how we want to finish,” Loughlin said.
In spite of the Huskies’ slow start to the game, there was much to be admired about their performance. Head Coach Gene Nolan commented on what he was most proud of during the game.
“When we got down, we fought back which sent us into overtime. It’s a hard thing to do and our kids did it anyway. So I’m very proud of them for that,” Nolan said.
The Huskies’ next non-conference game is away at Geneva High School on Monday, Jan. 20 against the Huntley Red Raiders at 4:15 p.m.
