At 6-foot-4, junior forward Jacob Nolen has a nice wingspan that he can put to good use while being a disruptive force on defense for Naperville North.
For example, he created three steals in the first four minutes he played Friday night. He also ended the first quarter with a steal, scoring for the second and final lead change.
He won’t forget that basket.
Nolen ended up contorting his body for a reverse layup that could only be described as, well … let him give it a shot.
“I was wide open and I fell,” Nolen said. ‘I just threw it up there and I got lucky.”
A little bit of luck on offense never hurts, but Nolen’s defensive mastery set the tone as the host Huskies held off Lake Park 37-26 in the Class 4A Naperville North Regional championship game.
Naperville North (17-15), seeded 12th, knocked out the fourth-seeded Lancers (22-8) to win their first regional title since the 2018-19 season.
The Huskies will play at 7 p.m. Tuesday against top-seeded Glenbard West (32-1) in the Bartlett Sectional semifinals.
Nolen, who finished with four points, five rebounds and four steals, scored on a putback with 3:31 remaining in the fourth to give Naperville North a 10-point lead.
“What we practiced the whole week is having the most energy we could possibly have,” Nolen said. “My main focus is just trying to deflect passes and get in the passing lanes.”
The Huskies have perfected a playoff formula of disciplined, hard-nosed play with aggressive and constantly changing 1-3-1 and 2-1-2 zone defenses.
Lake Park only shot two free throws. The Huskies only had six turnovers.
The Williams’ brothers, meanwhile, provided the necessary scoring to keep the Lancers at bay.
Luke, a sophomore guard, totaled 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Zeke, a senior guard, added 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.
Nolen’s defense, though, made it all work.
“Jacob’s long,” Luke Williams said. “We like to have him on top so he can get deflections on balls and we can get out in transition.”
Defensively, the Huskies’ eight steals limited Lake Park’s possessions.
“They can’t score without the ball,” Luke Williams said. “Having the ball in our hands, taking our time and passing up a good shot in order to get a great shot, that’s what we have done.”
Sophomore point guard Cole Arl also was steady at the controls, directing the attack and hitting the outside jumper when left open.
He finished with five points, four assists and three rebounds.
The Huskies were pumped up after beating fifth-seeded Naperville Central in the regional semifinal, becoming the lowest seed in 4A to win a regional title.
“The seeds don’t matter when it comes to the playoffs,” Zeke Williams said “March Madness just started. We are home.
“Beating Central and now winning a regional, that is one of the greatest accomplishments I have had at North.”
Zeke Williams also helped cool off senior guard Vito LaGioia, Lake Park’s best player. He scored all nine of his team’s points in the fourth quarter and finished with 14.
But Zeke Williams’ textbook block of LaGioia’s 3-point attempt in the fourth quarter was one of the game’s defining statements.
“Our kids don’t need to win a regional championship for me to be proud of them,” Naperville North coach Gene Nolan said of winning his first regional title in five years directing the program. “I’m just glad I am going to have a chance to come back, practice and be around them for a couple of more days.”
That said, defensive dandy Nolen confirmed nationally ranked Glenbard West won’t be a slouch.
“Glenbard West is really good,” he said. “Right now, we are just going to soak in this moment. Everybody is really excited.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.