NCHS beat out the Huskies 51-34

By Sports Editor Jay Ahuja

The Huskies lined up across the basketball court with excitement in their eyes, but for the returning players from last year’s roster, one thought lingered. Last season, both Naperville North High School and Naperville Central High School met three times – twice in the regular season and once in the playoffs. In the playoffs, the Huskies went head to head with the Redhawks but lost in triple overtime.

Last night, Friday, Jan. 24, the 2014 Huskies sought revenge, yet came up short when it counted.

The Redhawks took advantage of the Huskies in the paint, as NCHS seniors Nick Czarnowski and Patrick Maloney combined for 31 points and 16 rebounds to defeat the Huskies at home, 51-34.

The Huskies couldn’t find a rhythm offensively in the first half, shooting 6-19 from the field. Meanwhile NCHS couldn’t miss, hitting 13 of 18.

NNHS senior Ashton Elston, who finished with seven points, said the team lacked aggressiveness.

“In the first half, we weren’t disrupting shots and playing aggressive defense,” Elston said. “I think it’s all about mentality. Coach is telling us what we have to do, but it’s all about execution.”

NNHS started the game off missing, and ended up down by eight after the first quarter. NCHS (12-5, 5-2 Dupage Valley Conference) didn’t let up there, running all over the Huskies on the fast break. Maloney paced the effort, getting 16 points and 10 rebounds on the night.

After half time, the Huskies (9-8, 3-4 DVC) looked to come back, but NCHS was relentless on defense, holding the Huskies to six total third quarter points. In the final quarter, both teams put in their benched players to finish the game.

NNHS senior Michael Laurenzo said  he was humbled by the loss.

“We need to learn that we are not the best in Naperville, much less the conference,” Laurenzo said. “Until we can prove that, talk is cheap.”