After several weather-related delays, Stevenson’s boys basketball team landed at O’Hare International Airport late Sunday afternoon after a three-day trip to West Virginia.
A quick turnaround in the form of a Tuesday night road date against North Suburban Lake foe Lake Zurich awaited the top-ranked Patriots. But Stevenson (13-1, 4-0) showed minimal signs of jet lag, blowing out a previously hot Bears team 71-41.
“We didn’t look great in the first half but came out stronger in the second,” Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose said. “We got the game going faster, got out on the break and got some easy buckets.”
Stevenson’s hectic travel schedule left only one day to practice between its two weekend games in West Virginia and Tuesday. The Patriots did not begin their session Monday with a shooting drill. Instead, defense was emphasized. It showed, from the Bears’ opening possession to the final whistle.
Lake Zurich (12-3, 2-3) entered the game on a five-game winning streak, averaging 65 points. But Tuesday night, Stevenson’s relentless man-to-man defense forced the Bears to work for every shot attempt. Even open looks clanged off the rim. The first half saw Lake Zurich convert just 7-of-26 field-goal attempts as the Patriots led 34-21.
“[Defense] is what we pride ourselves on, that’s what [Ambrose] prides practice on. When we play hard and play as a team, it looks good,” said senior guard Jalen Brunson, who finished with 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting (2-for-5 from three-point range).
The third quarter saw the Patriots convert defense into offense. Leading 44-28 with 3:30 left in the quarter, the Patriots rebounded a missed Lake Zurich shot. In seconds, Brunson streaked down the court and finished with a dunk. On Lake Zurich’s next possession, sophomore Justin Smith stole a pass at half court. He fed a sprinting Brunson, who slammed home another left-handed dunk to give Stevenson a 48-28 lead with just over three minutes remaining in the quarter.
On Friday in Wheeling, West Virginia, Stevenson’s perfect season ended with an 88-81 loss to Chaminade Prep (St. Louis, Missouri). In that game, Brunson scored a tournament-record 48 points. His duel with Chaminade Prep star Jayson Tatum (who finished with 39 points) will be remembered in that state for a long time. But Stevenson offered a quick reminder of its elite stature in Illinois on Tuesday.
“We were [happy] to be part of the first Stevenson team to play out of state. We played Chaminade and Gonzaga [Washington, D.C.], two top programs,” senior guard Matt Johnson said. “It’s going to prepare us for Simeon and the other top programs in [Illinois].”
Connor Cashaw added 21 points for the Patriots. Lake Zurich was led by senior guard Mike Travlos, who finished with 17 points.