HINSDALE CENTRAL HOLIDAY CLASSIC

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

2018 GAME 21 RECAP: St. Charles East 51, Willowbrook 35

Box Score

HINSDALE, Ill. – Nate Ortiz scored a game-high 22 points while leading St. Charles East to a 51-35 win over Willowbrook and a spot in the fifth-place game of the 2018 Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic.

Ortiz tied the tournament’s single-game record for three-pointers by connecting on 6-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc. The Saints scored the opening bucket of the game and never trailed, leading from wire-to-wire. St. Charles East (9-6) built a 14-9 lead after the first quarter and led 22-19 at the half.

The Saints broke things open in the third quarter, outscoring Willowbrook (7-4) 19-9 in the third quarter to carry a 13-point cushion into the final quarter. The Saints led by as many as 17 before cruising to the 16-point win.

St. Charles shot 42.6 percent (20-of-47) from the floor, including 33.3 percent (8-of-24) from beyond the arc. The Saints dominated inside, outrebounding Willowbrook 43-21 and turning 13 offensive rebounds into 16 second chance points.

Ortiz led all scorers with 22 points, hitting on 7-of-14 attempts from the floor. Cody Mithcell added seven points and 11 rebounds while Mark Musial scored six for the Saints.

Willowbrook struggled with its shooting, hitting just 26.7 percent (12-of-45) from the game. Sam Tumilty came off the bench to lead the team in scoring with seven points. Everett Strubblefield added six points in the loss.

St. Charles East will clash with the winner of the Saint Rita/Lincoln park game in tomorrow’s fifth-place game at 5:15 p.m. Willowbrook will face the loser of the Saint Rita/Lincoln Park game tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.