GL_031617

glenviewlantern.com sports
the glenview lantern | March 16, 2017 | 41
Boys basketball
Evanston dominates Loyola
in sectional semifinal match
Neil Milbert
Freelance Reporter
When the Loyola Academy
Ramblers went to the
dressing room at halftime
of their Class 4A Waukegan
Sectional semifinal
game against top-seeded
Evanston, they were in
a position to pull off one
of the biggest upsets of
the season in Illinois high
school basketball.
With senior power forward
Julian DeGuzman
showing the way, they
held a one-point lead at
the end of the first quarter
and trailed by only one
point at the half thanks
to senior Matt Lynch’s
3-point shot at the buzzer.
But in the second half
Loyola’s hopes of a colossal
upset were gone with
the wind that was gusting
up to 50 miles-per-hour
outside Waukegan’s venerable
gymnasium on the
night of March 7.
Evanston buffeted the
Ramblers by scoring 12
unanswered points to start
the second half and went
on to win in a 71-45 blowout.
The impressive victory
improved the Wildkits’
record to 27-3. Two of
the defeats came in outof-state
encounters. Their
only in-state loss was by
two points in overtime
against Naperville North
on Jan. 21.
“They’re very, very
good and very wellcoached,”
said Loyola
coach Tom Livatino,
whose team ended the
season with a 22-9 ledger
after getting off to a 5-5
start. “In the second half
we missed a couple layups
and had a couple of shots
blocked, and we let their
guys get loose. They have
a bunch of weapons and
every weapon went off.
“They’re the best defensive
team we’ve seen in a
couple of years—they’re
just smothering. In the
first half we were able to
exploit that (with cuts to
the basket). We were unable
to do that in the second
half. When you get
down against a team that’s
so quick and skilled and
athletic you can’t extend
and play them. But they
forced our hand and the
game got away.”
In the second half
Loyola had only two field
goals—a layup by senior
Ramar Evans in the third
quarter and a three-point
shot by senior substitute
Kai Khasu in the fourth
quarter.
Evanston guard Malcolm
Townsel succeed
in shutting down Evans,
holding the Ramblers’
best player to five points.
“He always stayed in
my face,” Evans said. “He
never gave me any space.”
The three-year starter,
who will be playing for
Maryville University in
St. Louis next season,
ended his career sixth on
Loyola’s list of all-time
leading scorers and the
last two seasons led the
team in scoring, rebounding
and assists “and everything
else,” according
to Livatino.
“He battled through an
injury (a contusion between
the hip and pelvis)
to lead us in the regional
(championship game) and
the sectional,” Livatino
added. “He has been a
fantastic player for us.”
Livatino and Evans
lauded DeGuzman, who
in tallying a team-high
19 points scored 10 of
the Ramblers’ 15 points
in the first quarter and six
of their 13 in the second
quarter.
“He played his best
game in his last game,”
the Loyola coach said.
“That’s a great thing to be
able to do. I’m very proud
of Julian, seeing where
he came from and where
he is now. His level of
toughness has improved
dramatically throughout
his career. He’s going to
play in college and he has
a chance to be a very good
player.”
“Julian was fired up,”
Evans said. “I don’t think
they expected him to run
the court as much as he
did.”
Not only was DeGuzman
effective in cuts and
drives to the basket, he
also scored on a breakaway
layup, a putback and
an outside shot.
“I was running the court
and getting open and my
teammates were getting
me the ball,” he said. “In
the first half we did a great
job. It hurts that we didn’t
win. Now, I’ll step back
and look at my options
and see where I can play
in college.”
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