The weather might have been frigid outside, but the atmosphere inside Fenwick High School, Jan. 23, was warm and pleasant. After all, the Friars’ boys basketball team was playing in historic Lawless Gym for the first time since 2020, welcoming De La Salle. The game was played in Lawless to honor the school’s 1974-1975 team, which was the first to participate in the IHSA state tournament and pulled off one of the most memorable upsets in the history of America’s Original March Madness, edging past heavily favored Lyons Township in the Class AA sectional semifinals at Hinsdale Central.
The vast majority of the ’74-75 team returned to Fenwick and were honored with a halftime ceremony. Leo Latz, one of the players, organized the event and was the master of ceremonies. Captain Mike “Moon” Mullins and Neil Bresnahan spoke on behalf of the team, along with Fenwick athletic director Scott Thies. Also on hand were family members of late head coach Ed Galvin, who guided the team.
Fenwick alum Mike “Moon” Mullins, captain of the 1974-75 basketball team which was the first to participate in the IHSA state tournament, speaks at a halftime ceremony, Jan. 23. (Melvin Tate) 
Fenwick alum Neil Bresnahan, a member of the school’s 1974-75 basketball team which was the first to participate in the IHSA state tournament, speaks at a halftime ceremony, Jan. 23. (Melvin Tate)
“That was awesome,” said Fenwick coach Dave Fergerson. “To see those guys was really cool. It was my first time meeting some of them, it was great. I just wish we could’ve put on a better performance.”
While a victory certainly would have been an appropriate finish to the evening, it was not meant to be as De La Salle spoiled the party by jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never looking back in its 53-26 Chicago Catholic League Blue victory.
“We just couldn’t get going. It was a tough outing tonight,” Fergerson said.
De La Salle (9-13, 2-3 CCL Blue) came out hot, hitting three consecutive three-point shots for a 9-0 lead just 90 seconds in and forcing Fergerson to call a timeout. Fenwick (8-13, 1-4) had only one basket in the first quarter, a three-pointer by Ryan Murray with :57 left. The Friars trailed 17-6 after eight minutes, and any hopes they had of getting back into contention were dashed late in the second quarter as the Meteors ended it with a 10-0 run to go up 29-10 at halftime.
“We scored 10 points in a whole half. Not good enough to play in the Catholic League,” Fergerson said. “We finished with 26 points, and you’re not going to beat any varsity team with that.”
Fenwick went 10-of-32 (31%) shooting from the floor, hit five of 10 free throws, and committed 18 turnovers against De La Salle’s intense pressure defense. Dae’lon Wofford led the Friars in scoring with eight points.
On Jan. 26, Fenwick lost to visiting North Lawndale 63-52, extending its losing streak to five. The Phoenix scored the final six points of the first half for a 23-17 halftime lead, then started the third quarter with an 11-2 run.
Fenwick, which didn’t hit a three-point shot until 6:30 remaining in the contest, couldn’t come closer than nine the rest of the way. Corey Griffin had nine points and Murray and Wofford eight apiece for the Friars, who finished 4-of-27 shooting from three-point range.
Fergerson is doing everything he can to help Fenwick snap out of its skid but admits there are no easy solutions.
“I don’t know. I’m at home trying to think of everything, trying to light a fire under my guys,” he said. “The only thing left is to just continue to put one foot in front of the other, and just think there’ll be better days ahead.”
Lyons 65, OPRF 38
In a West Suburban Silver contest at Lyons Township, Jan. 23, Matt Halper scored 15 points, and Owen Towne had six points and eight rebounds. But their efforts weren’t enough in the Huskies’ 65-38 loss to the Lions.
OPRF (6-14, 1-6 WSC Silver) visits York at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 30.