With the state tournament around the corner, the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball team was hoping to build up some late-season momentum in their home West Suburban Silver game against Proviso West, Feb. 14.
Instead, not only did the Huskies lose 71-65 to the Panthers, but the game ended in ugly fashion. In the final seconds, Proviso West’s Machi Nelson (20 points) broke away and went up for a dunk attempt but was fouled hard by OPRF’s Alex Gossett (17 points), who was assessed a flagrant foul.
Ex-OPRF player Justin Bowen (20 points), now playing for Proviso West, confronted Gossett, and the two exchanged pushes and shoves as a bench-clearing melee commenced. The action spilled off the court and nearly into the hallway of the fieldhouse.
“It was an unfortunate ending,” said OPRF coach Phil Gary. “The game gradually got chippy and heated, and the officials lost control.”
But order was quickly restored and no one was injured. However, the West Suburban Conference assessed one-game suspensions for all players who left the benches, leaving OPRF with just five available varsity players for its WSC Silver game at Lyons Township, Feb. 15: Gossett, AJ Enyia, Finn Hackett, Matthew Halper, and Acoya King, a junior newcomer making his debut. They were in the game at the time of the incident, so they were not suspended.
Oak Park-River Forest High School senior Alex Vincent gets ready to go up to the basket against Proviso West in a West Suburban Silver boys basketball game February 14. Vincent scored 18 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in the Huskies’ 71-65 loss. | Carol Dunning 
Oak Park-River Forest High School senior Andrew Zhou prepares to shoot versus Proviso West in a West Suburban Silver boys basketball game February 14. The Huskies lost to the Panthers 71-65. | Carol Dunning 
Oak Park-River Forest High School senior Alex Gossett makes a pass as Proviso West’s Justin Bowen defends in a West Suburban Silver boys basketball game February 14. Gossett had 17 points in the Huskies 71-65 loss .| Carol Dunning
Gary called up four players from the sophomore team: Travis Cole, Owen Towne, Grayson Waters, and Trent Williams. All saw significant time in the Huskies’ 64-47 loss to LT.
“We were shorthanded,” Gary said, “but the guys competed. The sophomores we brought up, big kudos to them; they played their hearts out. That’s good for the future, and it’s a credit to them for being ready.”
Halper led OPRF (10-15, 3-8 WSC Silver) with 17 points while King, nephew of Chicago Bulls TV broadcaster Stacey King, added 16 points, all in the second half.
“Acoya played better; he was being aggressive and attacking and took what the defense gave him,” Gary said. “He’s starting to get into his flow.”
Despite the record, OPRF has been competitive for the most part this season.
“The season has been up-and-down,” Gary said. “We’ve been in a lot of close games but just weren’t able to get over that hump.”
Gary has been impressed with the continued growth and development of juniors Halper (averaging eight points per game) and Jerome Delaney, who in Gary’s words has “been scoring the ball and been aggressive all year.”
OPRF is the 10th seed in the IHSA Class 4A New Trier sectional. The Huskies start the postseason in the Highland Park regional versus the host Giants, Feb. 26. The winner would likely meet sectional top seed Evanston Township for the regional title Feb. 28.
“I think the 4A playoffs are tough no matter who you draw,” Gary said. “We drew Highland Park, who has a guard who averages 20 points and gets his team involved. We’ll be prepared for that game.”
Before then, OPRF had its regular season finale at Glenbard West, Feb. 18 (after deadline). With all of the suspended players eligible to return against the Hilltoppers, Gary wants the Huskies to home in on a couple of areas that have been problematic all season.
“We need to take care of the ball a little bit better,” he said, “and finish around the basket.”
