HINSDALE CENTRAL HOLIDAY CLASSIC

HC SQUARED:  Building a New Tradition of Basketball at Its Best
 

2016 GAME 23 RECAP: BOLINGBROOK 59, MARIAN CATHOLIC 44

Box Score

HINSDALE, Ill. - Bolingbrook secured a spot in the championship game of the 2016 Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic by toppling Marian Catholic 59-44 in the day's first semifinal.

Bolingbrook (9-0) only trailed after the opening basket, before building an 18-14 lead after the first quarter. The Raiders pushed their lead up to 13 points late in the second quarter and carried a 33-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Marian Catholic (8-5) clawed its way back into the game in the third, closing to within four points after a Warren Allen free throw with just over a minute remaining. A Malik Binns tip-in just before the buzzer gave Bolingbrook a 40-34 lead after three quarters.

Leading by six with six minutes remaining, the Raiders ripped off a 14-0 run over the next three minutes to take a commanding 20-point lead before cruising to the 15-point win over the next three minutes.

Bolingbrook overpowered Marian Catholic inside, outscoring the Spartans 38-18 and winning the rebounding battle 37-17, including an 18-5 edge on the offensive glass, leading to 20 second-chance points. The Raiders shot 45.1 percent (23-of-51) from the floor in the win, including 36.4 percent (4-of-11) from downtown.

Binns powered the Raiders with a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds. Nana Akenten added 15 points and eight boards while Kaleb Thornton totaled 13 points and five assists.

Marian Catholic shot 42.5 percent (17-of-40) in the loss but was hot from downtown, connecting on 7-of-15 attempts (50.0 percent) from three-point distance. Chase Adams led the charge for Marian Catholic with 14 points, four assists and five steals while Victor Akenyemi added 12 points for the Spartans.

Bolingbrook will face the winner of the Homewood-Flossmoor/DePaul Prep contest in Friday's (December 30) Championship game at at 8:30 p.m. Marian Catholic will take on the loser of the Homewood-Flossmoor/DePaul Prep game in the third--place contest at 7:00 p.m.