Evanston locks in, takes down Notre Dame in early statement win

Evanston junior Blake Peters ended the season in Peoria his first two years.

The Wildkits lost to Belleville West in the Class 4A state championship game last season. As a freshman, he became a viral sensation, nominated for an ESPY, when his nearly full-court shot at the buzzer beat Maine South.

So his statement, after a 62-53 victory Friday against Notre Dame in the Chicago Elite Classic at Wintrust Arena, is eye-opening.

“That was the most fun I’ve had in three years,” Peters said. “This is the most locked in I’ve seen us. That was a great game.’’

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It’s possible Peters and his teammates relished beating Notre Dame junior Louis Lesmond, who transferred from Evanston over the summer. Or it could just be the usual underdog motivation.

“That was the first game I marked on our schedule,” Peters said. “It was really important to me and the rest of the team based on a lot of stuff from last year. I haven’t read any articles about Evanston, but I’ve read a lot about other teams.”

Peters, well-known for wearing goggles the last two seasons, is now sporting contacts. He resembles the more grown-up leader he has become. Peters scored 21 points to lead the No. 9 Wildkits (6-0).

Jaylin Gibson added 15 points and five rebounds for the Wildkits, who never trailed. Evanston held the No. 7 Dons (5-1) scoreless for a four-minute stretch at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter.

It’s an early-season statement win for Evanston. Both teams have major expectations this season, despite being dominated by underclassmen.

“We thought coming in it would be closer,” Peters said.

Daeshawn Hemphill scored 12 for Evanston and junior Isaiah Holden added nine.

“Playing alongside the three seniors last year and playing varsity last year taught me a lot,” Holden said. “Taking what they taught me helped me become a better point guard.”

Lesmond led Notre Dame with 15 points. Troy D’Amico had 12 points and eight rebounds and Anthony Sayles added 11 points and four boards.

“They played harder than us, they wanted it more,” Sayles said. “We had too many turnovers, that just isn’t our game.”

Both teams are dominated by juniors, but Evanston’s group has significantly more big-game and playoff experience.

“We are still learning and have a long way to go,” D’Amico said. “We saw that tonight. But we will get there.”

Evanston’s tallest player is Gibson, who is just 6-3. A total lack of size didn’t stop the Wildkits from advancing to the state title game last season, and this year’s group appears to have even more depth. They aren’t worried about lacking height.

“I think back to my first coaching experience, getting beat by the Westinghouse team that was all under 6-foot,” Evanston coach Mike Ellis said. “Tonight it was a testimony to our kids’ will to win. They made sure the pace of the game was in our favor. We ended up as a team with just six turnovers and that isn’t easy to do. They did a great job with their decision-making and effort. It was fun to watch.”