Gallery • 7 Photos

George Hayek

Junior Jackson Watson attempts a three-point shot in the first quarter.

Libertyville’s varsity boys basketball team faced off against the Glenbrook North Spartans on Saturday, Dec. 1, with the Wildcats picking up a 63-54 win.  

The game started off slow.  Both defensive sides dominated, with multiple blocked shots causing turnovers. The first quarter ended with the Spartans up by three points.

The second quarter played out similarly. Neither team scored for the first two minutes of the quarter, and Glenbrook North led 23-22 at halftime.  

But in the third quarter, the tide started to turn in favor of Libertyville. The Wildcats sunk shot after shot while Glenbrook North struggled to put up shots or get rebounds. The Spartans began to foul as the game became more physical.

“I think they got tired, which helped,” commented Jackson Watson, a junior. Watson contributed 11 points.

Several three-point shots by senior Josh Steinhaus helped propel the Wildcats forward, coupled with 10 unanswered points by his teammates.

“We just started rolling,” junior Will Moore said. Moore, a guard, put up 8 points in the game.

The third quarter ended with the Wildcats leading 45-31. The fourth quarter saw the same success, as the Wildcats were able to maintain their lead down to the final minutes.

After losing their first four games in a Thanksgiving holiday tournament, the Wildcats seemed to turn over a new leaf with two straight significant wins last week.  

“We’re getting used to playing with each other,” forward Travis Clark said. Watson agreed, adding, “We’ve come closer and gelled as a team.”

The team started its conference games with a 49-42 win against Stevenson at home. Libertyville will play another conference game against Warren, away, on Friday Dec. 7