Through seven games, Naperville North’s ability to score can’t be questioned.
But Huskies’ coach Jeff Powers knows one area where his team will need to get better at as the season wears on: physicality and toughness.
Undefeated Wheaton North’s visit on Friday showed why.
Led by Luke Anthony’s game-high 21 points, Wheaton North overcame a pair of Naperville North runs – one early and one late – to secure a 72-67 road DuPage Valley victory.
Anthony, hit two of the nine three-pointers the Falcons (6-0, 2-0) collectively hit, as three others – Jack Bennett, Rowen McGowen and Jackson Garner – also scored in double figures.
Bennett knocked in three triples of his own on the way to scoring 16 points while McGowen and Garner added 14 and 10 points, respectively.
“On the court, off the court, in practice, he does a lot more than just score,” Wheaton North coach Dave Brackmann said of Anthony, who doubles as the Falcons’ quarterback. “He runs the team. He fills up the stat sheet with different things. He’s one of those guys that really stays calm in big moments and it’s great to have him out there.”
Thanks to juniors Tyler Carlson and Winston Elston, Naperville North (5-2, 2-1) jumped out quickly to a 15-5 lead in about five minutes.
Carlson, who scored a team-high 17 points, hit the first two of his five triples while Elston’s personal 7-0 run prompted a Falcons timeout with 2:54 to play in the opening quarter.
Wheaton North responded in kind behind Anthony and Bennett who combined to score its next 13 points as it eventually went on a 23-6 run to take a 28-21 lead following a Garner triple.
“We didn’t get out on the three,” Elston said. “When we would come out there, we wouldn’t close good enough to be able to defend and they would direct drive (for) straight layups.”
Carlson led the Huskies back from that late seven-point deficit in the first half by hitting on three three-pointers as he and sophomore Chris Johnson combined on their first 14 points of the half.
“It was a game of runs and we had to get them off the three-point line, but we also had to defend the middle and we just have to defend better,” Carlson said. “It’s a game of runs and they were able to get the better run.”
The 25-12 run Carlson and Johnson helped engineer, along with the help of Cam Hardy and E.J. Vaughn, gave the Huskies a six-point lead at 46-40 with three minutes to play in the third.
But a Bennett three-pointer as time expired in the third tied the game at 48-48 and the Falcons never trailed again.
Bennett’s buzzer beater sparked Wheaton North to go on a 11-0 run to start the fourth as McGowen, Anthony and Matt Giles combined to help put the game back in its grasp.
Elston (13), Jelani McClain (10) and Vaughn (10) joined Carlson in double figures for the Huskies.
“I’m proud of the way our boys came back and tried to finish and played hard,” Powers said. “But mentally and physically – through this whole season – when we’ve played against good teams, we’re not mentally and physically tough enough yet. Until we learn that, until we learn how to defend somebody, we’re going to be in trouble all year when we play this type of caliber team.
“Our offensive talent is fine. It’s our defensive intensity. I think it’s toughness. I think we lack some toughness.”
