Strong start helps lift Deerfield over Glenbrook South

Eric Porter never has to worry about whether or not his coach approves of his shot selection.

“He’s a weapon,” Deerfield coach Dan McKendrick said of the Warriors’ star senior guard.

“He can take a shot from 22 or 23 feet and in my mind I still feel like it’s going to go in.”

Porter scored 13 of his game-high 14 points, including three three-pointers, in the first half as the visiting Warriors captured the 52-43 victory over Glenbrook South in a Central Suburban crossover Tuesday night in Glenview.

Porter started hot, scoring seven points in the first quarter in staking the Warriors (4-1) to the early lead. His two three-pointers fueled a 10-3 second quarter push that propelled Deerfield to a 28-18 lead at the break.

“My teammates found me open,” he said. “It was good passing by them and I was lucky, I made the shots,” Porter said.

Porter was also a ballhawk defensively, recording four of the Warriors’ 12 steals as Deerfield forced 23 Glenbrook South turnovers, including 15 in the first half.

“We like to play fast paced,” he said. “We feel we have guys who are quick and crafty, and we like to pressure the other team’s best guards, match up with them and force turnovers.”

Senior forward Patrick Burns scored 12 points to support Porter as Deerfield wore down the Titans (2-3) with its depth and versatility.

“I feel very comfortable going 11 deep,” McKendrick said. “We have a bunch of kids who are very interchangeable, and it’s a nice luxury to have.”

Glenbrook South settled down in the third quarter and found a more consistent offensive rhythm. The Titans’ two guards, senior Paul Jones and senor Danny Nikitas, alternated with the hot hand in the second half. Jones drilled two three-pointers in scoring a team-high 12 points.

After getting shut out in the first half, Nikitas broke free for nine points in the second half. His three-pointer from the top of the key capped an 8-0 run that narrowed the 13-point deficit to five points.

Sophomore forward Jimmy Martinelli also sparked Glenbrook South by scoring 11 points off the bench. Senior center Conor McCarthy also contributed 11 points.

But Glenbrook South came undone at the start of the fourth quarter, turning the ball over on four of its first five possessions.

“We can’t do much when we turn the ball over like that,” Glenbrook South coach Ben Widner. “Deerfield ran some good stuff at us, and we went through some difficult times, offensively, early and in parts of the second half,” he said.

The Titans made one final push, taking advantage of Deerfield’s struggles at the free throw line in the fourth quarter. Deerfield missed five- of- six from the line midway through the quarter. Nikitas drilled his final three-pointer with 36 seconds remaining to pull the Titans to within 47-43.

But Burns put the game away with two free throws and a layup. Jack Garvey, Michael Alfieri and Stefanos Fasianos added six points apiece for the Warriors.