The Marian Central Hurricanes came into Libertyville undefeated and exited with another W in the win column, defeating the Wildcats 62-59 in their home opener after a back-and-forth affair.
Marian Central (4-0) was led by Sam Ohlrich, a 6-foot-8 center who stuffed the stat sheet for the Hurricanes, posting 15 points on just 9 shots along with 14 rebounds, three blocks, and a pair of assists. Ohlrich’s combination of size and shooting ability was a tough cover for the Wildcats’ defense.
Drew Peterson, a 6’5” sophomore, led the Cats in scoring with an efficient 21 points. Peterson used his size and array of shot fakes to get into the lane and shoot over shorter defenders.
Libertyville got off to a very slow start in the first quarter, falling into a 9-0 deficit early before a pair of Peterson free throws got the orange and black onto the scoreboard. However, the Cats bounced back in the second quarter, as they ended up with a 27-24 lead at halftime.
The Hurricanes were able to find the mark from outside throughout the contest. Marian Central knocked down 7 three-pointers on 19 attempts (37%), including four from senior Thomas Kaufmann, who led the team in scoring with 16.
Senior guard Paul Steinhaus added in 11 points for the Wildcats, while swingmen Jabari Quigley and Drew Fortini pitched in 10 points and 9 points, respectively. The team overall struggled from the field, as the Cats went through various stretches without a field goal and only cashed in on one three-pointer by Quigley. However, the team’s effort was noticeable, showcased by senior guard Cam Chen’s hustle for a loose ball out-of-bounds in the second quarter that led to a fast break bucket.
The second half also began with a scoring drought for the home team, and the Hurricanes took advantage and slowly took the lead, posting a score of 43-37. The Cats tried to climb their way back into it, but it was too little, too late, as they had to resort to late-game fouling, of which Marian Central knocked down their free throws (19/24 on the night for 79 percent).
The Wildcats were without Ben Kimpler and Joe Hohner, who played on the Libertyville football team (along with junior Brandon Rule, who saw a bit of game action) and have only practiced with the team for about a week. Kimpler, an athletic 6-foot-6 center, would have possibly given the Cats an option to slow down Ohlrich.
The Cats are in their first season under head coach Brent Mork, who used to work as an assistant for the prestigious Stevenson basketball program. A new coach brings with it a new playbook and strategy, which means there may be a bit of a learning curve initially.
Libertyville (3-2) will hope to bounce back next Wednesday against the Mundelein Mustangs. The game will take place on the road at 5:30pm at Mundelein High School.
