Boys basketball: Demarrea Davis, DeKalb hold off Wheaton North for third place at Burlington

BURLINGTON – The DeKalb boys basketball team battled down the stretch to take down Wheaton North, 50-40, in the third-place game of the Burlington Central MLK Tournament on Monday.

The Barbs twice looked like they were going to blow the game open in the second half, but the Falcons kept clawing their way back into the game.

“We knew it was going to be a physical game and they were going to bang us and fight us, and we continued to fight back,” DeKalb coach Mike Reynolds said. “It was a great team win. I thought we had contributions from numerous guys.”

The Barbs started to run away with the game in the third quarter, going on a 7-0 run to open the period.

After starting the run by hitting a short jumper, freshman Jackson Kees threw a jump pass from the top of the key to a lunging Demarrea Davis, who tossed in a reverse layup.

“It’s a good feeling to contribute both ways, on the defensive and offensive side, to help the team win,” Davis said.

Freshman guard Sean Reynolds then capped the scoring spree for the Barbs with a stop-and-pop 3-pointer that caused his defender to hit the floor as he rose up for the open 3.

Davis led the Barbs with 12 points, and Reynolds added 11.

Reynolds and teammate Darrell Island also were named to the all-tournament team.

The Falcons came back with a 5-0 run to keep the game close, all by sophomore guard Jack Speers.

“We were just trying to stay in it,” Speers said. “Just keep chipping, keep fighting. I think our defense was pretty good throughout most of the game, but we struggled offensively. We kept grinding and trying to get good offensive possessions.”

Speers knocked down two free throws then hit an and-one layup and free throw in less than a minute to cut back into the lead.

The Barbs began to pull away again in the fourth quarter with another 7-0 run, but the Falcons kept firing back.

Speers hit his second 3-pointer of the quarter to make it a two-possession game with 2:11 left in the game.

Speers led all scorers with 16 points.

“As much as we fought in the second half, we just couldn’t get over the hump,” Falcons coach Dave Brackmann said. “We were able to cut it to six, but the ball didn’t go in as much as we needed it to. I’m disappointed that we didn’t win, but I’m not disappointed in our kids’ effort.”

The Barbs hit their free throws down the stretch, going 7 for 8 from the line to close out the Falcons

The Barbs, coming off a tough overtime loss to Lyons, locked down the Falcons early.

Trailing 11-8 after the first quarter, the Barbs’ defense almost shut out the Falcons in the second quarter. Falcons forward Robbie Bonga knocked in a jumper in the lane as time expired before the half for the only Falcons’ field goal and points in the quarter.

Bonga finished the game with 11 points for the Falcons.

The Barbs put up 12 points in the second quarter with Davis and Sean Reynolds each scoring six points apiece for a 20-13 halftime lead.