Fenwick came into its Chicago Catholic League Blue home game against Leo, Jan. 24, seeking to get back on track after losing four of its last five games. The Friars managed to stem the downward trend with a 50-42 victory over the Lions. Kam Hogan led Fenwick (16-6, 3-1 in CCL Blue) with 13 points. Dominick Ducree added 10 points and Deonte Meeks nine.
“We definitely needed that,” said Fenwick coach David Fergerson. “We had some tough games with [Whitney] Young, Loyola [Academy], and Simeon, so anytime you can get a win in the CCL, it’s almost like a Super Bowl victory.”
On Jan. 26 in the Breast Cancer Shootout at Rich Township, Ducree poured in 24 points to lead the Friars to a 56-52 victory over the host Raptors.
“A very good, hard-fought win,” Fergerson said. “Dom came up big. He got it going early and the guys found him. He did his job and made some shots.”
Fenwick has a challenging schedule over the final month of the regular season, with upcoming games against several highly regarded programs. Yet Fergerson feels such a gauntlet will help the Friars get ready for the state tournament.
“When we’re playing tough games, hopefully we’re learning and getting experience,” he said. “Winning is important, but it’s not just about the wins; it’s if you’re winning at the right time, which is the end of the season heading into the playoffs. I want us to be playing our best basketball then.”
This weekend figures to be another test as Fenwick visits Brother Rice for a CCL Blue contest, Jan. 31, then faces Lemont at Lincoln-Way West, Feb. 1.
“Our guys are very resilient,” Fergerson said. “It doesn’t get any easier, but this is what we live for as competitors. We want to level up and see where we are. It’s tough, but we’re excited and looking forward to the opportunities. We love the challenge.”
OPRF
On Jan. 24, the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball varsity had visiting Lyons Township on the ropes early in the fourth quarter of a West Suburban Silver contest, having gone on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 43-43 and getting the fans energized.
But the Lions’ Ian Polonowski quickly halted the Huskies’ surge with back-to-back three-pointers, and LT went on to defeat OPRF 57-52.
“We did a good job fighting back,” said OPRF coach Phil Gary, “but we missed a lot of shots around the basket and in close games, those things hurt you.”
Perhaps the biggest miss occurred with less than two minutes remaining and the Huskies (9-12, 2-5 in WSC Silver) trailing 52-49. Alex Vincent (17 points, 10 rebounds) stole a LT pass and found Alex Gossett (18 points, nine in the fourth quarter) on a breakaway. But Gossett couldn’t convert the layup, and the Lions rebounded. LT hit five free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
“That hurt us,” Gary said. “If we’re down one and have momentum, who knows what happens.”
However, Gary felt that the solid play OPRF enjoyed from seldom-used reserves like Andre Stanton and Matt Winkelhake was a positive.
“Winks gave us energy and was very active defensively,” he said. “We’re looking to play our energy guys more.”
OPRF rebounded from the LT loss with a 64-55 win over Thornwood in the Breast Cancer Shootout at Rich Township, Jan. 25. Gossett had 18 points, Vincent 17 points and 10 rebounds, Jerome Delaney nine points, and Matt Halper eight points.
In another non-conference game, Jan. 27, Gossett and Vincent (14 rebounds) each scored 22 points, and Halper added 13. But the Huskies fell in double overtime at New Trier 80-74.
Next up for OPRF are home games against York (Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m.) and Steinmetz (Feb. 3, 7 p.m.), then a road game at Hinsdale Central (Feb. 4, 7 p.m.).