Analysis: Hornets Dominate at Both Ends in Second Quarter

The first quarter started off as a back-and-forth affair as Addison Trail managed to close the gap to 13-12 with just over a minute left. 

“I thought we outplayed them up to that point,” Hinsdale South coach Vince Doran said. “But it wasn’t shown on the scoreboard.” 

Backup forward Bryson Pitts got the Hornets a quick boost on offense with five unanswered points—including a three-point play—to put the Hornets up 18-12 after one. 

That was just the sign the Hornets needed. 

Junior guard Phil George started the second quarter with a three-pointer to put them up 21-12, which helped kick off their 27-point second quarter. 

George also led the attack on defense, picking up three of the team’s six second-quarter steals and forcing the Blazers to either turn the ball over or make a poor shot. Addison Trail as a team committed 11 turnovers and attempted only six shots in the period. 

“Our mindset was to stop them defensively,” George said. “We wanted to keep them to single digits per quarter if we could.”

The second quarter was the only quarter Hinsdale South did so, outscoring the Blazers 27-4 and taking a 29-point lead at the half. George hit three triples in the quarter, giving him a team-high 14 first-half points. 

Part of the Hornets’ success on offense can also be attributed to star forward Brock Benson, who scored eight first-quarter points. He was subjected to constant double teams by Addison Trail's 1-3-1 zone defense, the only way the smaller Blazers could control the 6-foot-8-inch forward with any consistency. 

The strategy badly misfired. 

“If you double up on someone, we can get the ball out to our guys on the perimeter and we’ll make you pay,” Doran said. 

Extra Points: 

Play of the night: Hornets guard Ryan Johnson tipped in an errant layup attempt by fellow guard Phil George. He seemed to leap several feet to make the play in the second quarter, which put Hinsdale South up 33-12. 

Quotable I: About Johnson’s play, George said, “He (Ryan) has a knack for grabbing rebounds out of thin air. He’s a great athlete and a track star.” 

Tournament seeding: The Hornets drew a No. 8 seed for the IHSA 4A tournament. Their first opponent will be Marist. Should they defeat, Marist, their second-round opponent very likely will be Simeon, touted as one of the best teams in the country. 

Quotable II: Doran said of the possibility of playing Simeon: “That would be so great to play Simeon. They’re one of the best high school teams in the country for a reason.”