Vincas Buzelis, Hinsdale Central avenge early loss to Glenbard West with 19th straight win

GLEN ELLYN – As the younger brother of a current Chicago Bulls rookie, Hinsdale Central’s Vincas Buzelis is used to being the target of opposing fans.

So it was Friday.

Buzelis, a 6-foot-4 senior and South Dakota recruit, frequently drew chants from the student section at Glenbard West’s Biester Gym. Never was it louder than when Buzelis missed a dunk on a lob late in the third quarter, hung on the rim to try to jam it back through and received a technical foul.

“I’ve always played in hostile environments, that kind of helped me,” Buzelis said. “The fans don’t really get to me. They’re sitting down watching me play. Don’t really get to me.”

Buzelis indeed was clearly not fazed.

He scored 13 of his game-high 18 points in the second half, helping Hinsdale Central overcome a four-point deficit after three quarters.

Dillon Orozco knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minutes, and Hinsdale Central hung on to beat Glenbard West 54-51 in a matchup of West Suburban Silver leaders for its 19th straight win.

In doing so, the Red Devils (22-2, 7-1) avenged their last loss, 42-40 to Glenbard West, back on Dec. 6 in Hinsdale.

“I think that was the lowest part of the season, back-to-back losses, that being the second one,” Orozco said. “Ever since then practices have been different, guys pushing harder. We were ready for this. We knew it would be a challenge, Friday night, their crowd, but we stayed together as a team.”

Orozco added 13 points, Buzelis had 10 rebounds and Tyler Thick 10 points for Hinsdale Central. TJ Williams had 13 points and three steals and Josh Abushanab 10 points for Glenbard West (18-5, 6-2).

Thick scored all 10 of his points in the first quarter as Hinsdale Central jumped out to a 24-15 lead, but Glenbard West pulled even to 29-29 by halftime.

The teams exchanged the lead four times in the third quarter, Glenbard West taking its biggest lead, 41-35 on Drew Gacek’s 3-pointer in the last minute of the third quarter.

Williams' 3-pointer off a turnover gave Glenbard West its last lead, 47-45, with 3:31 left. The Hilltoppers missed a three for the tie in the final seconds.

“Typical Friday night, West Suburban Silver, one-possession game,” Glenbard West coach Jason Opoka said. “Hinsdale Central has been playing great. We felt we played well enough to win. They made a couple more plays down the stretch. Unfortunately it didn’t go our way.”

Buzelis came in hot, averaging 24 points over Hinsdale Central’s last five games, but had just five at halftime against Glenbard West’s 1-3-1 that had multiple defenders in his vicinity.

But he stuck with it, and hit several tough shots in the second half.

None was better than Buzelis' behind-the-back dribble in the lane and 15-foot jumper for a 47-47 tie with 2:18 left.

“That was definitely instinct,” said Buzelis, who shot 8-for-15 from the floor. “I don’t practice that, but I do practice my shot a lot.”

“He doesn’t force much,” Hinsdale Central coach Nick Latorre said. “He is very efficient.”

Next possession, Orozco knocked down a corner 3-pointer, his second of the fourth quarter and third of the game, for a 50-47 lead with 1:45 left, giving the Red Devils the lead for good.

“He’s been shooting it really well all year,” Latorre said. “I thought he showed a lot of guts. Just missed one in the corner, came back and knocked it down. Good possession, big play, really good win. I thought that was a high-level game.”

Williams scored 10 of his 13 in the first half for Glenbard West, its 1-3-1 zone forcing four turnovers in the second quarter that led to scores.

But Hinsdale Central turned it over just four times in the second half.

“You can’t replicate the athleticism and the length and the overall quickness they have in practice. You have to see it,” Latorre said. “We made a couple slight adjustments, getting in better angles.”

Few fouls were called in a physical affair at the rim. Glenbard West’s Logan Glover, who scored seven of his nine points in the second half, got a bloody nose on a dunk attempt in the fourth quarter.

“It’s unfortunate that on a Friday night they’re letting us play to where kids can potentially get hurt,” Opoka said “We have to battle through it and get tougher.”