Collin Greenlee, Woodstock shine in Johnsburg’s Gold Out Game

JOHNSBURG – Woodstock point guard Collin Greenlee erupted during the third quarter of Wednesday night’s Kishwaukee River Conference basketball game, helping the Blue Streaks build an 11-point lead.

The bigger eruption came when Greenlee and his teammates hustled into the visiting locker room after Woodstock staved off a fourth-quarter rally to edge Johnsburg 61-57.

Happy teenage boys screamed.

“I think it’s especially the away games when there’s a lot of energy in [the locker room after a win],” Greenlee, a 5-foot-11 senior, said after scoring a season- and game-high 21 points to spoil the Skyhawks' Gold Out Game, which encouraged home fans to dress in gold colors.

“It gets loud. It’s a hard atmosphere to win in, so it feels good when you do.”

It’s especially good when you beat the defending conference champs on their home court. Woodstock (13-9, 5-2 KRC) happened to hand Johnsburg (9-11, 3-2) its lone KRC loss last season.

“We knew it was a big game, and we know that they’re really good,” Blue Streaks coach Ryan Starnes said. “It’s Gold Out night, and the environment is awesome. We started out slow, but we figured out a way to hit some shots and got enough stops at the end.”

Woodstock led 33-32 at halftime, and then Greenlee took over. He opened the second half with a 3-pointer and scored 10 points, including another 3, in the quarter as the Blue Streaks took a 49-39 lead into the fourth.

Johnsburg, however, held Greenlee without a point in the fourth, and Max Beard, Woodstock’s season-long scoring leader, had zero points in the second half. Beard scored 11 points in the first half.

“We went 2-3 [zone] and just turned up the pressure,” Skyhawks coach Mike Toussaint said. “That’s all we really did. We focused on [Beard and Greenlee] in the beginning, and it killed us. Sometimes I feel like when you focus too much on people it bites you, and it bit us.”

Woodstock held Johnsburg’s season-long scorer leader JT Schmitt to five points on 2-of-6 shooting in the first half. Schmitt then took over the fourth, opening the quarter with a 3-pointer and then hitting two more. His third 3 cut Woodstock’s lead to 56-48 with 5:51 left, only to see the JJ Stokes hit a 3 to build the Blue Streaks' lead back to 11 with 3:53 to go.

Johnsburg responded with a 9-0 run that featured two 3-pointers by Trey Toussaint, pulling the Skyhawks within 59-57 with 57 seconds left.

Johnsburg never scored again. Woodstock’s Joey Nitz and Ayden Cummings split two free throws each in the final 19.9 seconds. Toussaint missed what would have been a game-tying 3 with three seconds left.

Beard didn’t get off a shot in the fourth, and Greenlee attempted only two.

“They were all the way up on us in the full court,” Greenlee said.

Stokes, who seldom shoots, finished with 12 points, all in the second half. He had eight points, including two 3s, in the fourth. Nitz finished with nine points.

Woodstock played its third game in a row without freshman Liam Laidig, who’s started every game this season. The 6-4 Laidig rolled his ankle against Plano on Jan. 14, and Starnes hopes to get him back soon.

“He does a little bit of everything for us,” Starnes said. “He scores around the basket really well, and he’s a great passer. He was actually leading us in assists before he got hurt. He takes care of the basketball, and he’s just a really smart basketball player.”

JT Schmitt and Jayce Schmitt finished with 14 and nine points, respectively. Toussaint also scored 14 points. Josh Kaunas had seven points and five rebounds for the Skyhawks.

“We can’t guard anybody,” said Mike Toussaint, whose team has allowed 60 or more points, including 93 to Rochelle in a two-point win Monday, to five straight opponents. “Our defense is broke. We need to get better.”