Boys Basketball: Downers Grove North continues banner season, upends top seed Young in sectional semifinal

HINSDALE – In past years, Young has turned into a slayer of dreams for many local opponents in the playoffs, including several West Suburban Conference Silver and Gold teams.

Just ask the iconic 2018-19 York team.

And Lyons and Downers Grove North last season.

Glenbard West managed to put an end to the West Suburban Silver’s losing string by knocking off the Dolphins in the Class 4A state championship game last season.

On Tuesday night, Downers Grove North made a point not to join the recent list of victims. In the midst of one of the best seasons in program history, the fourth-seeded Trojans posted a thrilling 47-44 victory over the top-seeded Dolphins in the Class 4A Hinsdale Central Sectional semifinals.

The Trojans (30-3) advance to Friday’s 7 p.m. sectional final to face the winner of Wednesday’s sold-out Hinsdale Central versus Lyons game.

The Dolphins (23-8) almost forced overtime, but Dalen Davis, a Princeton recruit who finished with 15 points, missed a wide-open 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

The Trojans relied on a collective effort to upset the Dolphins, with Jack Stanton leading the way with a game-high 20 points, five rebounds and a pair of 3-pointers. Jacob Bozeman played outstanding on both ends, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists while playing solid defense on Young star forward Daniel Johnson (18 points).

Junior guard Owen Thulin made two free throws with 3.5 seconds left to give the Trojans a three-point cushion. Thulin had missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 39 seconds left.

“It was a mental thing and I tried not to let things get to my head and kept my composure,” Thulin said of his two key free throws.

Stanton, who has an offer from Lewis University, might be adding a few more schools to his list after his stellar game. The 6-foot-2 Stanton showed he could do more than launch picture-perfect jumpers. He attacked the basket and absorbed contact at the rim, scoring 11 points in the first half. His ballhandling and attack-mode mentality sparked the Trojans to a 27-19 halftime lead.

“The first layup went in and I then hit the three, so I knew to keep shooting because it was working and tried to keep being aggressive,” Stanton said. “This is probably the most I’ve driven, gotten inside. A lot of people think I’m undersized but I want to prove I can play with bigger guys.”

Bozeman, a senior guard/forward, showcased his entire arsenal against the highly ranked Dolphins. The 6-5 Bozeman guarded Johnson, the top uncommitted senior this season, for most of the game. Bozeman attacked the basket for several drives in the half court, played point guard for a few possessions and shot 5-for-7 from the field.

“We felt not many people were respecting us, maybe because we were a suburban team,” Bozeman said. “We wanted to come at these city guys, just to show them we’re physical and can keep up with their pace and played downhill.”

Junior center Jake Riemer played 19 valuable minutes, compiling four points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Maxwell Haack hit a key 3-pointer to end with three points, and Finn Kramper canned a huge 3-pointer from the corner to give the Trojans a 40-39 lead with 4:02 left. The combination of Bozeman, Stanton, Owen Thulin, Ethan Thulin and Kramper helped to spread the ballhandling duties.

The Trojans needed every ounce against the talented Dolphins in order to overcome a horrific 4-of-19 shooting effort from beyond the arc.

Downers Grove North coach James Thomas reveled in the postgame atmosphere, hugging each of his players to celebrate the 30th win of the season.

“We took them off the bounce because that’s what the game kind of gave us,” Thomas said. “Credit to the kids for taking what the defense gave us. … We had a break of coverage on that last play. We were going to foul.”

Young coach Tyrone Slaughter said the Trojans played a strong game.

“We got into some early foul trouble which contributed to our bad flow,” Slaughter said. “They played a phenomenal game. They came back stronger and were committed to winning.”