Bounce Back With a Vengeance: OPRF Pulls Away from York, 69-53

About 18 hours after the state’s top-rated team emphatically snapped the Huskies’ four-game winning streak, the Oak Park and River Forest boys’ basketball team on Saturday bounced back with a 69-53 victory over York.

Senior guard Justin Mullins led the way with a steady 23 points, netting at least five in each quarter. Junior guard Sam Lewis had 21 points, exploding for 18 in the second half.

In addition to shaking off the residue of their 62-35 loss to Glenbard West on Friday evening, the victory avenged OPRF’s lopsided loss to York on January 21st. On that night, the Dukes enjoyed a 70-47 blowout.

The Huskies are now 14-10, including 7-4 in the West Suburban-Silver Conference. York dropped to 16-10, 3-8 in conference action.

OPRF trailed 11-7 after one quarter, which was punctuated dramatically by Dukes guard Drew Kircher as he heaved a swish from well past midcourt just before the buzzer sounded.

But that moment didn’t foreshadow a York victory—instead, it was merely a role-reversal echo of the Huskies’ night before. On the home court of powerhouse Glenbard West, OPRF led 9-5 after one period, but wound up losing by 27.

On Saturday, OPRF threatened to blow open the game with a 15-2 spurt to start the second period to go up 22-13. That burst included a 22-foot missile from sophomore Oscar “Max” Johnson, followed by two Mullins free throws when York was assessed a technical foul.

“We started a little lackadaisical, lethargic,” said OPRF Coach Phil Gary. “Rodney Murphy came in and gave us big minutes, good energy. And Max Johnson had another solid performance, with his defense, getting loose balls, energy.”

However, York erased nearly all of the nine-point Huskie lead, riding the continued leadership of Kircher and accurate free throw shooting to come within 27-25 at halftime.

The lead went back and forth after intermission. York’s last lead was 37-35, on a layup by a sprawling Kircher with 3:17 to go in the third period. Meanwhile, Lewis grew a hot hand, knocking down a pair of three-pointers—the second a step-back from over 22 feet.

He and Mullins, who is the team’s leading scorer at 23.7 points a game, took over on the offensive end. The duo accounted for all 17 of the Huskie points in the period. After stealing the ball in the closing seconds of the quarter, Lewis (12 third-quarter points) put up a shot that spun in, out and then down to make it 44-39, OPRF.

Lewis, second on the team with a 14-point scoring average, has had an up-and-down season offensively. For example, his 30-point outing against Proviso West was followed by a six-point effort against Glenbard West and a quiet first half on Saturday.

“When he’s attacking and being aggressive, it makes us a harder team to guard,” said Gary. “We’re trying to get him to put two halves, four quarters together, just being aggressive all of the time.”

After York’s Adam Hardek tipped in a shot to pull within three, Murphy (seven points) stole the ball on the next Dukes possession and set up Johnson for his second three-pointer of the contest.

Next, Lewis made four consecutive free throws to make it 51-41. Over the ensuing possessions, the Huskies were relentless inside. Mullins scored twice on follow-up flurries underneath—and converted a free throw after being fouled on the second occasion. In addition, Murphy converted a layup off one of his misses, and shortly thereafter Lewis threw down a dunk.

All of a sudden, it was 62-45, Huskies, and reserves from both teams got into the action over the final three minutes. For the final quarter, OPRF outscored York, 25-14.

The triumph was a welcome return to the Huskies’ winning ways. The evening before, OPRF took a 14-8 lead early in the second quarter against the Hilltoppers.

“Our guys were excited for the opportunity to prove we’re not the same team they played last time,” said Gary. In that prior clash, Glenbard West blew out the Huskies early before cruising to a 64-40 win.

This time, turnovers were part of the Huskies’ unraveling, as was the fact that “Glenbard became Glenbard and got hot,” said Gary. “We couldn’t buy a basket and they started rolling.”

A 21-4 Glenbard West run that made it 29-18 at the half. The Hilltoppers’ dominance continued in the second half, resulting in the 62-35 final.

With its victory, Glenbard West, ranked 12th in the nation, upped its record to 28-1. The only loss for the Hilltoppers came on Feb. 5th against Sierra Canyon, a California school ranked ninth nationally that beat Glenbard West on a buzzer-beater.

Against the Huskies, Bobby Durkin led Glenbard West with 23 points, while 6-foot-11, Gonzaga-bound center Braden Huff added 15. Mullins led OPRF with 10 points. Senior guard Roscoe Cadwell had eight points, all in the first half, including a pair of three-pointers.

OPRF’s final regular season game is at 6:30 p.m. this coming Tuesday, Feb. 15th, at home against Downers Grove North. Thereafter, the postseason looms, with the Huskies slated to face Jones High School on Wednesday, February 23rd in the first round of the Riverside-Brookfield Regional.

“We’re starting to play better at the right time,’ Gary said. “In February, that’s when you want to be peaking.”

Prior OPRF boys' basketball coverage:

Mullins & Lewis explode for 66 in Huskies' win over Proviso West
Oak Park & River Forest Edges Lyons Township For 3rd Straight Win