Foul trouble dooms DeKalb in sectional semifinal loss to Warren

WAUKEGAN – Gurnee Warren’s guard trio of Jaxson Davis, Braylon Walker and Javerion Banks are all about invading personal space.

They love to pester dribblers, make every step difficult and jump into passing lanes.

On Tuesday, a flurry of steals and fast breaks turned the game around in the third quarter as the Blue Devils beat DeKalb 61-49 in a Class 4A Waukegan Sectional semifinal.

This is the second straight year these teams met in the sectional semis, with similar results.

“We put an emphasis on ball pressure and stuff like that,” Davis said. “It just messes up people’s offensive game. Then it fuels into our offense and that’s how we end up winning games.”

One side of the gym might argue Warren’s defense was a little too invasive. Neither side seemed very happy with the foul calls in this game, but no one was in actual foul trouble until DeKalb point guard Marquise Bolden picked up No. 4 early in the third quarter and had to go to the bench.

Bolden was the game’s top scorer in the first half with 12 points, then opened the second half with a 3-pointer that put the Barbs ahead 31-24. Not long after, however, Bolden picked up his fourth foul, and while he was out of the game, Warren outscored DeKalb 16-8 during the rest of the third quarter.

“The game changed when Marquise got his fourth foul there,” DeKalb coach Mike Reynolds said. “It was a very physical game, and he seemed to be on the wrong side of some of those, but that happens. We know we don’t have the depth at that spot, so we struggled a little bit in that five- or six-minute stretch where he had to sit.”

The Barbs (26-7) started the game with plenty of confidence, knocking down their first three attempts from 3-point range and jumping to an early 11-3 lead. After Bolden went to the bench, DeKalb hit only two more 3-pointers in the final 14 minutes.

“It hurt,” said Bolden, a senior playing in his final high school game. “I was feeling good, I was in a rhythm, and I was like, ‘This is going to hurt the team bad.’ They went on a run, and it felt terrible. I don’t have any regrets. The refs made the call. It is what it is.”

Banks was a huge spark in the second half for the Blue Devils, finishing with a game-high 16 points. The 6-foot-1 senior led the fast break, knifed through the defense to get to the rim, found open teammates and hit a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter, pushing Warren to a 45-39 lead.

The story of the Blue Devils' season was how Banks played in only one game during the first two months, and it wasn’t because of a basketball injury. Ranked No. 1 in the state early this season, Warren has 10 losses because of a tough schedule and Banks' absence.

“I went to go get something else checked out, and they had found something in my hip,” Banks said. “My left femur had a bone cyst in there [that had to be removed].

“I didn’t feel it, so I didn’t know. But they said it was really thin, [the leg] could have snapped at any moment. Thank God it didn’t. I stayed in the gym [during the layoff], even though I wasn’t really supposed to. But I just wanted to get in right away to help my teammates.”

As the defense led to more offense, Warren took a 51-41 lead with 5:13 remaining. DeKalb’s Jackson Kees (13 points) and Sean Reynolds hit 3s to make it a four-point game, but the Blue Devils' defense shut the door.

Davis finished with 13 points, while Walker and Jack Wolf scored nine, and center Zach Ausburn had eight.

Warren will face either Waukegan or Rockford Guilford on Friday.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250304/prep-sports/boys-basketball-banks-defense-carry-warren-past-dekalb/