The final week of the regular season is a motivational challenge. The Illinois High School Association revealed the state tournament brackets on Friday afternoon. And once the road to the state championship is clear, the final games of the season can struggle to feel meaningful.
Especially when the conference championship has been decided. That was the case Friday in Glenview. But it turns out Glenbrook South doesn’t need special motivation against No. 22 Evanston.
“When the seeds and brackets are out, things definitely change for all the teams,” Titans junior Anestis Hadjistamoulou said. “But this was Evanston, and Evanston has crapped on our program for many years. So it’s always good to get a win. Especially at home. We don’t lose at home.”
The Titans beat Evanston 48-39. Glenbrook South’s guards did an admirable job handling the Wildkits’ pressure. But 6-7 senior Nick Taylor was the difference.
Evanston cut Glenbrook South’s lead to four twice. Taylor responded both times with multiple baskets to extend the Titans’ lead. He finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
“He’s been doing that all year,” Glenbrook South coach Phil Ralston said. “We didn’t go to him enough tonight. He earned his points the hard way with putbacks and trying to finish through contact. He’s done a whale of a job for us all season. We’ve been riding his coattails for a while.”
Taylor hit the ground hard seven times, always attacking the basket for rebounds or points.
“I always have a physical game,” Taylor said. “But against Evanston, it is a war, not a battle.”
Wildkits senior Brandon Watson (16 points) scored on a layup with 49 seconds left to cut Glenbrook South’s lead to 43-39. Taylor scored four points on the Titans’ next two possessions to seal the victory in the final seconds.
Hadjistamoulou had 13 points for the Titans (22-6, 7-3 CSL South), and senior Nate Kasher added 11.
Evanston (19-10, 5-5) had been on a roll, beating New Trier, De La Salle and St. Patrick in its last three games. The Wildkits were supposed to have a down year, but veteran coach Mike Ellis has found a way to make his team a factor in February.
“It’s typical that an inexperienced team will make some growth in the second half,” Ellis said. “It’s good to see them taking advantage of opportunities and learning how to win. Tonight, we just got away from that a little bit.”
Glenbrook North won the conference, but there isn’t a clear favorite in the Maine South Sectional. Loyola earned the top seed but lost to De La Salle on Friday.
Glenbrook North, the No. 2 seed, lost to No. 4 New Trier on Friday. The Titans are seeded third. Niles North, Evanston, Lane and even No. 12 Oak Park are all capable of winning the sectional.
“We are all flawed teams,” Ralston said. “Whoever has the fewest mistakes will come out on top. You could easily see a 5 or 6 seed win the sectional.”
