Stay Connected with YourSeason
Boys Basketball: Bench leads Oak Park past Hinsdale Central
Updated: December 17, 2011 9:17PM
Gabe Levin scored 23 points to lead OPRF, but Tacourrus Mattox’s 15 points off the bench helped beat Hinsdale Central 59-49 Saturday night.
Perhaps Taccourus Mattox should arrive late for more games although that is probably not a good policy with Oak Park-River Forest coach Matt Maloney.
With Bradley-bound guard Ka’Darryl Bell out of the lineup with a wrist injury, Maloney is trying to find a combination to keep the Huskies on the winning track. He might have found one Saturday night in a 59-49 victory over visiting Hinsdale Central. The win kept the Huskies’ share of the early West Suburban Silver lead with undefeated Glenbard West.
Senior Gabe Levin scored a game-high 23 points and had eight rebounds, but the Huskies (7-1, 3-0) found a spark when Mattox entered the game in the second quarter. The 6-foot-7 junior and part-time starter was held out of the first quarter for coming late to the game. Mattox scored a career-high 15 points and had nine rebounds.
Mattox was OPRF’s 10th player to enter the game and made an instant impact starting with his first basket with 3:56 to go before the half. He scored four baskets and had five rebounds in 2 1/2 minutes.
“T.K.’s scoring for us was big tonight,” Maloney said.
Besides Levin, the Huskies couldn’t find any offensive momentum, especially when point guard Jakari Cammon picked up his second foul in the first quarter. After Levin, OPRF’s other four starters scored a combined 13 points in the game. Levin scored the Huskies’ first 10 points in the game. OPRF trailed 13-12 to end the first quarter.
“I try to help my team out as much as a I can,” Mattox said. “I feel like when I take a couple of shots and you knock your shots down, I get going.”
The Devils (5-2, 2-1) scored the first eight points in the second quarter to take a 21-12 lead, but Hinsdale scored only one basket in its next 11 minutes in the game. Sam Rafferty’s layup pulled the Devils to within 34-31 with 3:36 left in the third quarter. Hinsdale came within 37-35 near the end of the third, but could not recapture the lead.
Brian Owens and Brad Anlauf scored 12 points each to lead Hinsdale. Owens had 10 points in the first half, but did not make a second half basket until there was 25. 3 seconds remaining in the game. OPRF outrebounded the Devils 35-19.
“We could be a little bit tougher, in particular on the offensive glass,” Devils coach Nick Latorre said. “During that stretch, we got out toughed.”
Hinsdale does not play again until it opens the Proviso West Holiday tournament at 9 a.m. Dec. 27 against Morgan Park.
“I think there is still room for improvement,” Latorre said. “The kids have worked hard. We’re close as a group. I do think we definitely have room to get better.”
© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.
Cell Phone Alerts
Comments Click here to view or make a comment