Bryan Mullins scored 14 points in Downers Grove South’s 51-40 Class AA sectional final win over Willowbrook at Hinsdale South. But his biggest contribution came on the defensive end, where he limited Chris Perkins to six points, nine below his 15-point average.
“It was the third time we’ve played them, so I obviously knew him well,” said Mullins, who shot 4-for-10 in the Mustangs’ third win over Willowbrook. “I tried to stop his penetration. He likes to go right, and when he goes up for his shot, I just tried to contest them.”
Downers South (26-4) led 34-20 with 2 minutes 19 seconds left in the third quarter after Sam Carson (11 points) scored the Mustangs’ first nine points and Mullins added a layup. But Willowbrook cut the lead to six at 36-30 when Ryan Tyskiewicz sank a three-pointer.
Tyskiewicz paced the Warriors (16-13) with 11 points.
After a scoreless drought of 4:16 in the fourth, Carson’s basket coupled with Mullins’ three-pointer put Downers South up for good at 41-30 with 3:44 remaining.
“That three was huge–he didn’t score a whole lot of baskets, but that was a big one,” Mustangs coach Paul Ruynon said.
Willowbrook managed only 2 of 12 shooting in the first half and turned the ball over seven times for only 14 points at halftime. Elliot Engelmann chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds in the win.
At Waukegan: Fred Finley had eight of his 14 points during a 12-5 third-quarter run that helped Waukegan beat Warren 51-42 for its first Class AA sectional title since 1975.
During the spurt that upped the Bulldogs’ lead to 36-27, Finley recorded two three-pointers and two blocks. Waukegan (18-11) made 11 of 15 shots in the fourth to stay ahead.
“When Warren made a run at us in the third, our defense stepped up,” coach Brian Colbert said.
Casey Pond notched a game-high 21 points for Warren (17-12).