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BLUST MAKES DUPAGE COUNTY ALL AREA TEAM

by Kevin Schmit and Dave Oberhelman Daily Hearld

Copyright Daily Herald

Denis Alibegovic, Downers Grove South

The 6-foot-3 junior guard rounded out his game after being primarily a perimeter player as a sophomore starter. Alibegovic averaged 14 points with devastating outside shooting ability -- he hit 66 3-pointers -- and improved strength and quickness driving to the basket. "He's really matured from his sophomore to junior year," coach Kris Olson said. "He keeps getting better."

Luke Anthony, Wheaton North

On varsity since the end of his freshman year, Anthony continued to show why he's among the area's top athletes. The 6-foot-3 junior guard, a two-year starting quarterback, used his strength to play post defense and take on ballhandling duties. Anthony averaged 15.9 points and 3.3 assists. "Nothing he does is gaudy, but he consistently fills up the stat sheet," ... READ MORE

Glenbard West outlasts Hinsdale Central

by Kevin Schmit

Sometimes it's tough to sum up the meaning of victory.

Good thing there's hardware around to do the talking for you.

Glenbard West edged Hinsdale Central 48-44 on Friday to claim the Class 4A Hinsdale Central regional championship and advance into next week's East Aurora sectional.

In winning the program's first regional title since 2008, the second-seeded Hilltoppers (25-3) also set a program record for victories in a season. The Hilltoppers needed to beat two of the three teams that beat them, including the 10th-seeded Red Devils (17-11) on their home court.

With all that rolled into one win, it was an emotional postgame celebration for Glenbard West.

"This means a lot," said Hilltoppers guard Alex Passi. "It proves that we could play under pressure and the regular season wasn't just a fluke."

Hinsdale Central put a big dent ... READ MORE

Peter Blust credits commitment to Hinsdale Central's strong finish

Hinsdale Central had won eight straight games before its season ended with a 48-44 loss to Glenbard West at the Class 4A Hinsdale Central Regional final on Friday, Mar. 4.

Red Devils coach Nick Latorre did not think that the late-season streak was an indication that his team was playing drastically different from the start of the year.

"I thought we played good ball all year, I really did," Latorre said. "It was not like all of a sudden the light clicked on. It was all of a sudden we started winning some close games."

Leading scorer and rebounder Peter Blust did notice some changes during the final stretch of the season, which included a Feb. 23 win against Hinsdale South.

"I think we just bonded more," said Blust, a senior ... READ MORE