Nazareth stuns Glenbard West in OT at Jack Tosh Holiday Classic first round

ELMHURST – Rasim Johnson put both hands to his head in disbelief as he joined a circle of giddy Nazareth teammates at midcourt.

What was on Johnson’s mind?

“I was just shocked,” Nazareth’s senior guard said. “I know we’re the 29 seed here, they put us really, really low. I knew all we had to do was play hard as a team, shoot the ball, come in and fight hard.”

Nazareth’s boys basketball program has not enjoyed near the success of other athletic programs at the school. It’s had just one winning season in the last decade. Its lone win in the last decade at the 32-team Jack Tosh Holiday Classic, in 2021, it had to give up because of a COVID case.

But the Roadrunners rocked one of the state’s marquee holiday tournaments Thursday.

Johnson scored two baskets in the final minute of regulation to force overtime. Senior center Danny Wrzesinski, who scored a team-high 19 points, had the go-ahead basket with just over a minute left in the extra period of Nazareth’s 63-60 stunner of Glenbard West in the first round of the 50th Jack Tosh Holiday Classic.

“As a school, basketball hasn’t been up with the other sports here like football and baseball with state championships and all that, but we have talent,” Johnson said. “This is huge. This is a huge tournament for us to make a statement like this.”

Jack Ariens scored 12 points and Johnson 11 for Nazareth (4-6), which advanced to face Christ the King in the second round. TJ Williams scored 19 points and Logan Glover added 11 for Glenbard West (9-2).

“It’s a huge win for our program,” Nazareth coach Sean Pearson said. “Couple years ago they [Glenbard West] were state champs, they were 9-1, huge win for our guys. Couldn’t be prouder.”

Nazareth, which led at halftime and after three quarters, looked to be on its way to settling for a moral victory when it turned the ball over on four of five possessions midway through the fourth quarter.

Glenbard West’s Josh Abushanab split two free throws to push the Hilltoppers ahead 48-47, and Williams drilled a corner three to make it a four-point game.

The margin was still four with a minute left, but Johnson scored on a driving layup, then stole the ball at midcourt and took in a layup with 29 seconds left for a 53-53 tie.

“One of the things we talk about was he [Johnson] was in the moment, he was where his feet were,” Pearson said. “The biggest thing we talk about is you only get so many high school games to influence games and be where your feet were.”

Williams' steal and score gave Glenbard West its last lead, 58-57, with 1:30 left in overtime, but Wrzesinski rolled in a jumper in the lane at the other end.

Glenbard West turned it over, and Wrzesinski converted a three-point play on an off-balance score through contact in transition.

“I was just trying to finish,” Wrzesinski. “I thought they were going to call a charge on me. I got the call.”

Teyion Oriental scored for Glenbard West to cut the margin to two, and Williams stole the ball – but missed a breakaway layup for the tie.

It was indicative of how the ball rolled for Glenbard West, who also couldn’t corral a defensive rebound after Nazareth missed two free throws with a three-point lead in the final seconds.

The Hilltoppers and their 1-3-1 zone pressured Nazareth into 28 turnovers, but didn’t maximize those chances. On the game’s first possession, Williams missed a dunk in transition off a steal.

“Our defense led to some transition opportunities and unfortunately we weren’t able to capitalize as much as we do,” Glenbard West coach Jason Opoka said. “We caused 28 turnovers but we didn’t finish well at the rim.

“Give credit to Naz. They were disciplined, they attacked our zone and their big kid was a horse inside.”

Indeed, the 6-foot-8, 210-pound Wrzesinski was active early, scoring eight of his 19 points in the first quarter to keep Nazareth within 17-14.

Wrzesinski went to the bench with his second foul, and Nazareth leading 19-16, but his team didn’t fold without him.

Oliver DeSantiago, who scored eight points, rolled in a jumper in the final seconds of the first half for a 28-27 Nazareth halftime lead.

“That was huge,” Pearson said. “It showed that the guards believe in [Wrzesinski] but they also believe in themselves.”

Nazareth had reason to believe it could hang Thursday, with close losses to winning teams Plainfield South, St. Patrick, Downers Grove South and Marian Catholic.

“The difference today was the guys stayed poised,” Pearson said, “and the ball bounced our way because of their effort.”