On Friday, Jan. 31, Naperville North’s varsity boys basketball team beat the Naperville Central Redhawks.
The Huskies (12-11) defeated the Redhawks (7-16) with a final score of 55-35.
Although the Huskies started off strong by winning the opening tip, the game had a slow start. However, through successful free throws by junior power forward Will Harvey (22) and back-to-back 3-pointers by junior point guard Max Steele (5), the Huskies gained an early lead. Throughout the rest of the quarter, the Huskies’ defense continued to keep the Redhawks away from the basket and force passes to prevent drives. This left the Huskies in the lead with a score of 13-5 at the end of the first quarter. The Huskies kept up the momentum with multiple rebounds from Harvey, as well as several 3-pointers from Steele and fellow junior guard Miles Okyne (4). The Huskies finished the first half with a thrilling buzzer beater shot from junior forward Carson Loughlin (3), who also got a free throw and made both. This left the Huskies in the lead with a score of 29-14 at the end of the first half. Harvey explained why the Huskies were able to have such a strong start in the first half.
“We were fired up going into this game, everybody was locked in, so we just came in and started shooting well and playing really good defense,” Harvey said.
The second half started strong with both the Huskies and Redhawks scoring 3-pointers. Then, Steele kept up the powerful momentum with back-to-back shots to keep a steady lead for the Huskies. The Huskies continued to have a strong offensive game with quick maneuvers and smart passes. For the remainder of the quarter, the Huskies kept the ball away from the Redhawks and finished with a last minute 3-pointer by Steele to keep their lead and make the score 46-27. Throughout the rest of the game, the Huskies continued their relentless offensive game with multiple free throws. At the end, the Huskies were able to run down the clock and they finished the game with a final winning score of 55-35. Steele commented on what the crosstown win meant for him.
“Playing against Central is always a big deal, and I’ve been coming to this game since I was a little so getting to play in it and play well is a great feeling,” Steele said.
Throughout the season, the Huskies have experienced both exhilarating wins and disappointing losses. However, crosstown games always have the most spirit surrounding them due to the high competitiveness. Head Coach Gene Nolan explained what the win meant for the team.
“They played great and have been working really hard and we feel very fortunate to have beat such a good team like Naperville Central,” Nolan said.
The Huskies have their next home game on Feb. 4 against the Conant Cougars at 7:00 p.m.
