There’s no question Matthew Meier and Harry Hallstrom are the known commodities for Naperville Central.
The challenge throughout the first month has been trying to find a consistent third scorer to go along with the perimeter-post combo of Meier and Hallstrom.
Friday shone a light on who that could be for the Redhawks while also showing areas where it needs to work.
You live by the three, you die by the three.
Naperville Central was held scoreless for the game’s last 3:59 in squandering a 10-point lead in the second half as Wheaton Warrenville South earned a 53-50 DuPage Valley road victory.
Jeran Simpson’s 18 points led the way for the Tigers, who got 15 from Ryan Scudder and 10 from Eric Rasch to help offset Nick Kramer’s game-high 21 for the Redhawks (9-5, 4-1).
Triples from Scudder and Matt Dacy-Seijo highlighted an immediate 8-0 response from Wheaton Warrenville South, which went on a 20-10 run to tie the game at 44-44.
“I know we have other guys around us, like Matt Dacy, Eric (Rasch), (Matt Waldron),” Simpson said. “We all played good. They went up 10 at the start of the third quarter and we just stuck with it and kept grinding and battled. Came back and we just got a good win against a very good team.”
A first-half shooting spree conducted by Nick Kramer and a 9-0 run to start the second half got the Redhawks out to a 34-24 lead about three minutes into the third.
But a failure to get Hallstrom, who had 10 rebounds before fouling out, more touches inside was the biggest regret Naperville Central coach Pete Kramer had surrounding his team’s first conference loss,
Hallstrom scored only four points as the Redhawks tried to bust the zone from the outside.
“I would’ve liked to got the ball inside more in the second half,” Pete Kramer said. “I didn’t think we got that done. I think Harry fouling out was probably a little bit of frustration. He’s so unselfish anyway, but I don’t think we got the ball for him to score in spots enough. That’s just something we need to work on. But they did a good job. Give them credit.”
For the first 16 minutes, Nick Kramer made his case to be that third option for the Redhawks alongside Meier and Hallstrom.
Finally healthy for the first time since Thanksgiving, Kramer hit on five triples during a nip-and-tuck first half that saw Naperville Central take a 25-24 lead into halftime.
But the Tigers did a nice job on him in the second half, holding him to just six points, while Meier managed just 12 points.
“We just struggled hitting shots late,” Meier said. “I was broke all night. I didn’t hit any shots, missed a couple free throws, but that just happens in basketball. We were hot in the first half. Nick was really hot. I think he cooled down in the second half a lot.
“We just didn’t finish the game. And that’s three in a row we haven’t finished, lost in the fourth quarter. So we really need to bounce back next week (against Naperville North).”
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