Logan Glover’s late free throws lift Glenbard West at Hinsdale Central in WSC Silver thriller

HINSDALE – Glenbard West senior forward Logan Glover showed no signs of any nerves late in Friday’s game.

The 6-foot-6 Glover made several big plays on offense and defense in the fourth quarter against Hinsdale Central in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division game in Hinsdale.

[ Photos: Glenbard West vs. Hinsdale Central ]

But Glover didn’t expect to be the key player on Friday, especially late in the game.

“I was sick the whole day, and am still sick,” Glover said.

Glover made the Red Devils sick late in the game, burying two free throws with 8.2 seconds left to propel the Hilltoppers to a 42-40 win. The Red Devils missed a shot at the buzzer to keep the Hilltoppers (5-0, 1-0) among the unbeaten.

“To come into Hinsdale Central with their fantastic coaching staff and their environment, it just says how hard our kids play,” Glenbard West coach Jason Opoka.

“We have eight seniors committed to winning. Logan has taken the next step this fall, plus was injured early in the fall and we weren’t able to see him. The sky is the limit with him. His athleticism, his want and his desire and mental awareness is fantastic. We couldn’t be more proud of him as a leader.”

Glover led his team with 12 points, with a productive fourth quarter that included draining all four free throws and scoring six points. TJ Williams and Josh Abushanab both added seven points in the low-scoring game. Williams set up the winning free throws with a key block with just over a minute left in regulation.

Glover was fouled in the lane, and he calmly hit the first free throw despite a large group of Hinsdale Central students rattling the gym. He swished the second free throw.

“I just went through my routine and tried to cancel myself out from the world, then when I shot it, I said ‘cash’ and it went in,” Glover said. “That was the first time shooting that. I feel good right now because the adrenaline is pumping. It was a relief to hit them. I have never shot (winning) free throws.”

The Red Devils (3-2, 0-1) led for several minutes in the second half, but couldn’t pull away from the pesky Hilltoppers. Senior guard Vincas Buzelis, the younger brother of Chicago Bulls’ rookie Matas Buzelis, scored a team-high 12 points for the Red Devils. Senior guard Eric Kozys added 10 points.

“It was a great ballgame,” Hinsdale Central coach Nick Latorre said. “It was a high-level West Suburban Silver, knockdown, dragout solid ballgame. I thought both teams competed and it was very physical. We had some clean looks. I’m proud of all of our guys. They played hard.”

The Hilltoppers and Red Devils played a slow game with some turnovers early in the first half until both teams found the offensive touch in the final three minutes of the second half. The two teams battled back and forth for most of the second half before the Red Devils built a 39-34 lead.

But the Hilltoppers clamped down on defense, not allowing a field goal in the final 4:51 of the game. Teyion Oriental and Glover both hit key shots to chop down the deficit to set up the dramatic finish.

Glenbard West senior guard Julian Yeh said Friday’s win was a team effort.

“It was an intense environment, but we came together and made sure we were on the same track,” Yeh said. “I had confidence in Glover. He works hard. It was a great team win.”

Abushanab, a transfer from Glenbard North, is fitting in well with his team. His length and activeness fits in well with Glenbard West’s 1-3-1 zone.

“I didn’t get to play in the first few games, but I’m back now and we’re all playing for each other and as a team,” Abushanab said. “This is my first conference game, so it’s good we came together and got the win. I had faith in my team.”