The Trinity High School basketball team won its fourth consecutive game at its MLK Showcase, Jan. 19. The Blazers (15-7) routed OPRF 58-25.
“We had a little bit of a slow start, slower than I would have liked. But we played how we wanted to play, inside and out, fast, moving the basketball and making the extra pass,” said Trinity coach Kim Coleman. “I’m pretty proud of us in that regard.”
Sophomore Keyera Gamble, named Trinity’s Player of the Game, had a double-double against OPRF: 16 points, 12 rebounds. She credits last season’s experience as a catalyst for this season’s success.
“Playing a little bit on [junior varsity] last year gave me the confidence to know that I could play up and be myself,” Gamble said. “Knowing that I belong, this team is like family. I love it.”
Other key contributors were Jazmyn Ratliff with 10 points and five rebounds, Chloe Santos with nine points, Zaria Goins had eight points and five rebounds, Lailah Ward seven points, and Destinie Roe five points and seven rebounds.
Taryn Draine had 11 points and Katara Watson nine for the Huskies (5-17), who made only seven shots for the game (7-of-37 for 18.9 percent). Draine and Watson were OPRF’s lone players with more than two points.
“It would’ve been better if we had a more balanced attack,” said OPRF coach Renee Brantley. “Foul trouble really killed us; we couldn’t get into a rhythm.”
Also at Trinity, Fenwick (7-13) lost to Taft 33-32. Avani Williams was Fenwick’s Player of the Game with 16 points and eight rebounds, and Eleanor Gibson had seven points and six rebounds.
OPRF boys
OPRF (5-12) opened the holiday weekend with a 73-64 West Suburban Silver victory over visiting Proviso West, Jan. 16, which ended an eight-game losing streak. George Gray had a game-high 21 points for the Huskies, who also got 19 points from Trent Williams and 13 from Cameron Woods.
“We had a really good game against Downers [Grove North, 44-39 loss, Jan. 13],” said OPRF coach Phil Gary. “We felt the energy was really good and we carried it over, which helped us get the win.”
OPRF participated in the Wheaton-Warrenville South MLK Shootout over the weekend. The Huskies were competitive in all three games but were unable to notch a victory.
OPRF had two losses on Jan. 17, 57-50 to Waubonsie Valley then 50-40 to the host Tigers. Against Waubonsie, Woods had 22 points, Gray 12 points, and Owen Towne five points and nine rebounds. Against Wheaton-Warrenville South, D’Angelo Perkins scored 15 points and Gray added 13.
On Jan. 19, Gray had 19 points and 8 rebounds, Woods 17 points, Jerome Delaney 16 points, and Perkins eight points in the Huskies’ 69-64 loss to Stevenson.
“I know the [win-loss column] hasn’t shown it,” Gary said, “but these guys are getting better each game. Every win’s a positive, and even when we have losses, we learn a lot of things from watching film.”
OPRF hosts Golder College Prep in the annual “Pack the Place” game, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m., before jumping back into WSC Silver play at Lyons Township, Jan. 23, at 6:30 p.m.
Fenwick boys
After climbing back to the .500 mark, the Friars have dropped three consecutive games, the latest loss coming to St. Patrick 57-42, Jan. 19, in the Fenwick MLK Day Classic. Fenwick (8-11) scored its first points on a pair of Corey Griffin free throws with 2:10 to go in the first quarter and didn’t have a field goal until Griffin scored with :30 left.
“[St. Patrick] jumped out on us. They’ve done that two years in a row and we need to have a better start,” said Fenwick coach Dave Fergerson, referring to last year’s loss in the sectional final.
Jake Thies had nine points while Griffin and Donnie Rogers each added seven points. Fergerson likes the potential of Rogers, who was called up to the varsity last week.
“He’s a sniper. He can shoot the ball,” he said. “He’s one of the best shooters in the state, and I want to get him some experience.”
Fenwick hosts De La Salle, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. Instead of the fieldhouse, the game will be played in historic Lawless Gym as part of the festivities honoring the 1974-75 team, the first to play in the IHSA state tournament.
“It’s going to be cool, should be a fun event,” Fergerson said.
