You take the good with the bad in a basketball season and Oak Park-River Forest was bad in one vital area Saturday, Nov. 28, during its 72-50 loss to Riverside-Brookfield.
“It’s execution and the will to do it,” Huskies point guard Breshawn Wilkerson said. “You’ve got to want to do it as a team. You have to all contribute. Tonight, it was their pressure and crowd a little bit, but it all goes back to execution.”
Oak Park (2-2) went 2-1 to reach the title game of the 13th Annual Bill VandeMerkt Thanksgiving Tournament. Waiting for the Huskies was host Riverside-Brookfield (4-0), ranked No. 4 in the baiduhai’s preseason rankings.
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The Huskies came into the season ranked 18th, but have played well in two wins and poorly in two losses.
“We have three guiding principles during games — energy, execution and effort,” Huskies coach Matt Maloney said. “Tonight, I think we failed in all three.”
The Bulldogs padded their lead throughout, leading by four points after a quarter, five at halftime and by 13 after three quarters.
Wilkerson and Connor Fuller led the Huskies with 13 points apiece and Cameron Gross scored 12.
Daniko Jackson topped Riverside-Brookfield with 17 points, Jalen Clanton scored 13 and Mark Smith and Ryan Cicenas scored 12 apiece.
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.