Tony Santarelli, Crystal Lake South dunk Buffalo Grove

JOHNSBURG – Tony Santarelli’s first varsity dunk came midway through the second quarter and was, according to him, mid.

“Five [on a scale of 1-10],” Crystal Lake South’s 6-foot-4 senior forward said.

His overall game, and the Gators’ game, was way better than mediocre. Santarelli scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and was a defensive force to lead South to a 63-44, season-opening win over Buffalo Grove in the Johnsburg Thanksgiving Tournament on Monday night.

Sophomore guard Carson Trivellini scored 10 of his 19 points in the first quarter, helping the Gators build a 15-4 lead.

“A lot of guys stepped up,” said South senior guard AJ Demirov, who averaged a team-best 20 points per game last season for a 31-win team. “Carson, after his freshman year, we knew he was going to step up this year. And Tony, I think he was underrated in the conference last year. He was already at this level. People just didn’t know. I think this year he’ll show it a lot.”

Santarelli was flat-footed in the lane during a second-quarter flurry when he took a tight pass from Demirov and leaped just high enough to dunk the ball through the basket.

“I wasn’t sure if I should go for it,” Santarelli said. “I barely got it, thankfully. I was glad I didn’t miss.”

Santarelli’s defense was also a factor. With Santarelli playing at the top of South’s 1-3-1 zone, Buffalo Grove committed nine first-half turnovers and shot just 4 of 21 from the floor. The Bison trailed 26-4 after Santarelli’s dunk, before cutting their deficit to 28-14 by halftime.

“Credit to Crystal Lake South. They’re obviously a very good basketball team,” Buffalo Grove coach Kevin Geldon said. “Their 1-3-1 just gave us a hard time. When we did get good looks, our feet weren’t ready because they sped us up.”

Santarelli, a returning varsity starter, used his length and athleticism to help get the Gators’ transition game going.

“Last year I was more of a wing in the 1-3-1,” Santarelli said. “I like playing the top. It’s really fun.”

“This was his first game as our topper, our chaser, and I thought he did a good job setting the tone,” Gators coach Matt LePage said. “If we can rebound out of it, I think we’ll be a little bit better. Buffalo Grove gave us fits on the defensive glass, for sure.”

Buffalo Grove guard Tyler Baker helped hold Demirov to nine points.

“Tyler did a heck of a job,” Geldon said. “I think that kid [Demirov] is one of the more dynamic players in all of the area.”

Comforting for South was that it didn’t need Demirov to carry the offensive load. The Gators never trailed. Cooper Buelna added five points and 10 rebounds.

“It is a good sign,” LePage said of his team’s scoring balance. “Everybody knows about AJ. They’re going to load up for him. The more he can get others involved, it’s just going to make us better, and he knows that. He’s a four-year [varsity] guy.”

Santarelli helped put the game away early in the fourth, knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers and then finishing a fastbreak layup after his steal. He finished with four steals, while shooting 9 of 15 from the floor.

“Even though we weren’t shooting well first game, I feel like our defensive intensity was super good, and we had good ball movement,” Santarelli said. “I feel like we definitely can work on our cutting a little bit, but I feel we did get good scoring inside.”

Freshman guard Edwin Karnauchovas came off the bench to lead Buffalo Grove in scoring with 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Alex Sirbu, the Bison’s 6-9 sophomore, had 10 points, despite foul troubles.