New Fenwick boys basketball coach David Fergerson couldn’t have asked for a better start to his career as his Friars won the Hoops 4 Healing Tournament championship in dramatic fashion, Nov. 24, at Oswego.
Under heavy defensive pressure, junior guard Dominick Ducree hit a three-pointer from the right corner with 3.4 seconds remaining to give Fenwick (3-1) a 51-50 victory over West Aurora in the title game. The shot capped a game-ending 9-0 run over the final four minutes for the Friars.
“We had that play and were saving it,” Fergerson said. “When we got the ball back toward the end, I called timeout to set it up. We didn’t run it the way it was supposed to, but we managed to get Dom a shot. He got his feet set and made a tough shot. It was great execution by our guys and they showed maturity.”
Ducree hit seven 3-pointers overall and finished with a game-high 23 points, while junior guard Ty Macariola added 14 points.
The thrilling win was a nice bounce-back for Fenwick, which had lost to Rockford Guilford 72-70 on Nov. 22.
On Nov. 21, Macariola scored 18 points, junior guard Caleb Burgins 8, Ducree 7, and junior forward Nate Marshall 6 as Fenwick rolled past Oswego 55-36.
Following a Chicago Catholic League game at Mount Carmel on Nov. 28 (after press time), the Friars will meet neighboring Oak Park and River Forest as part of the Chicago Elite Classic on Dec. 1 at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Credit Union One Arena. Tip time is scheduled for 6 p.m.
“It’s good to have momentum heading into an extremely tough week. We’ll need it,” Fergerson said. “We’ve got to be locked in and ready to go.”
Bowen’s big shot boosts OPRF
Junior forward Justin Bowen (13 points) hit a pull-up jumper from the free-throw line with one second left to give OPRF a 64-62 victory over Wheaton Academy on the final night of the Wheaton Academy Thanksgiving Tournament, Nov. 25. The outcome gave the Huskies (3-1) a share of the title along with Lake Park, a team OPRF defeated in the tournament opener 70-62 on Nov. 20.
“We didn’t play a really good game, honestly; it’s their home gym and [Wheaton Academy] stayed hot for three quarters and put us down 15,” said OPRF coach Phil Gary. “But we kept cutting into the lead, and Max Johnson hit a three with 20 seconds left to tie it up.”
Johnson led the Huskies (3-1) with 21 points. Junior forward/guard Alex Gossett had 15 points, and junior center Alex Vincent added 14 along with nine rebounds.
On Nov. 24, OPRF routed Bartlett 70-34. Senior guard John Lambe had a team-high 17 points off the bench. Johnson posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists, and Gossett had 13 points and nine rebounds.
The Huskies’ lone tournament loss came on Nov. 22 to DeKalb, 69-50. Johnson led with 18 points. Gossett added 16 points, and Bowen 7.
Johnson, a senior guard who was named to the All-Tournament Team, totaled 84 points and 24 assists in the four games, committing just seven turnovers.
“He’s a three-year varsity player who has pretty much taken the reins,” said Gary, adding that last week’s strong showing should give the young Huskies a huge confidence boost.
“It’s always good to win,” he said. “We told them to enjoy [the Wheaton win], but next week we’re back trying to get better every day.”
OPRF returns to the court, Dec. 1, for the annual crosstown showdown with Fenwick in the Chicago Elite Classic at UIC.