Boys Basketball: Vernon Hills’ McNamara comes on strong in loss at Wauconda
By Kevin Reiterman kreiterman@pioneerlocal.com February 3, 2012 11:28PM
Darren Hoveydai of the Cougars tracks down a loose ball during Friday's game at Wauconda. | Joe Shuman~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: April 10, 2012 11:54AM
Stephen Curry is one of the major difference makers for the Vernon Hills High School boys basketball team.
Not having him available — the junior missed his second game in a row with an injury — for Friday’s game against Wauconda made for an uphill climb for the visiting Cougars.
“We struggled all night — with Stephen being out,” said Vernon Hills head coach Matt McCarty, following his team’s 61-50 setback. “He makes a big difference. But we’ve got no excuses.”
With Curry sidelined — he needed seven stitches above his right eye after a colliding with a teammate during practice on Jan. 30 — McCarty inserted junior Dylan McNamara into the starting lineup.
And the kid responded.
The son of Stevenson head coach Bill McNamara, the Cougars guard scored in double figures (11 points) in his very first varsity start.
“I had a slow start,” he admitted. “I threw up an air ball. I had some other misses.
“But you have to keep your head up and stay in the game,” added McNamara, sounding like a coach’s son. “I was just trying to help out.”
Keeping at it paid off.
After a scoreless first half, McNamara got the three-ball going — when it counted.
His third three-pointer — part of a 13-4 run for the Cougars — came with 4:38 left in regulation and tied the game 42-42.
“That felt good,” said McNamara. “It was nice to see us come all the way back.”
But to Vernon Hills’ dismay, the tie score lasted all of five seconds. Wauconda’s Austin Swenson, who shared game honors (20 points) with teammate Kyle Ryan, immediately answered McNamara’s three with a three of his own.
“That was a mental lapse on our part,” McCarty said. “We lost that guy in transition. He gets a good look and hits a big shot.”
The host Bulldogs (10-13) closed out the game by going 3-for-3 from the field and 9-for-12 at the foul line.
Stat sheet: Darren Hoveydai led the Cougars (12-9) with 15 points. The senior guard, who only had three points in the first half, had a nice fourth quarter: seven points, two rebounds and two assists.
“They were keying on him,” McCarty said.
VH’s Nathan Rathod battled foul trouble throughout, and wound up with nine points, while Trenton Fulton simply battled all night.
Fulton, a 6-foot-3 power forward who gave the Cougars an inside presence, finished with nine points and 13 rebounds. He had two nice assists in the fourth quarter as well.
Fulton’s sidekick in the paint, senior Jarrett Wood, also was plagued with foul trouble. In limited playing time, he had six points and seven rebounds. Four of his points came on reverse layups off passes from Hoveydai.
Solid showing: John Foley had one of his most productive games of the season. The VH senior turned it up a notch, pulling down four rebounds in the fourth quarter.
“He made some nice stops when we needed it in the fourth quarter,” McCarty said. “He was playing so well that he deserved to stay on the floor.”
Recap: The Cougars dropped a 93-56 decision to North Chicago on Jan. 31.
The Warhawks (10-0 in league play) clinched the NSC Prairie with a 90-75 win over second-place Lakes on Friday.
On the schedule: The Cougars will host Grant at 7:30 p.m. Friday and visit Antioch at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
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