Boys Basketball: Brian Nelms carries Rolling Meadows past Buffalo Grove

Updated: December 2, 2011 11:39PM

Being a four-year starter on the varsity, Rolling Meadows’ Brian Nelms knows when to shoot and when to dish.

Nelms found those spots perfectly to help guide his team past host Buffalo Grove 50-47 Friday.

“I have been on this team for a while,” said Nelms, who finished with 15 points and eight assists.

“So I know my role. In the first half they were trying to deny (Tyler) Gaedele. So I did more shooting. In the second half they were stopping my shot, so I passed off.”

“Brian does exactly what we need from him,” Rolling Meadows coach Kevin Katovich said. “He is a smart kid. He knows what to do with the ball all rhe time.”

Rolling Meadows (2-3, 1-0) and Nelms heated up early as the Mustangs raced to 12-4 lead with 4:06 left in the first quarter.

Buffalo Grove (2-3, 0-1) rallied behind Luke Potnick. The junior guard scored six of his nine points during a 12-2 by the Bison as Buffalo Grove led 16-15 early in the second quarter.

That’s when Nelms went to work. The senior guard scored and dished the ball to Gaedele (14 points) as the Mustangs closed the half on a 14-4 run to lead 29-20.

Buffalo Grove stayed close behind the play of Sam Wacker, who finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

The Bison rallied to tie the game at 45 on a driving layup by Steve Soifer with 1:31 to play. But Gaedele nailed a pair of free throws just 10 seconds later to put the Mustangs up for good and Nelms added three free throws down the stretch.

“We got off to a good start and did the things we ephasized in practice this week,” Katovich said. “It got a little ugly in the second half, but we hung tough.”

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