Josh Abushanab scored 17 points, including a game-winning layup with time expiring, as Glenbard West defeated Schaumburg 43-41 as part of the Mid-Suburban League vs. West Suburban Conference Challenge in Glen Ellyn on Saturday afternoon.

The Hilltoppers (6-8, 2-1) led all game long. They took a 10-point advantage into the locker room at halftime and entered the fourth quarter up 9. However, a determined Saxons squad chipped away at that lead throughout the final period and tied the game with five seconds remaining to set the stage for Abushanab’s heroics.

“Coach kind of just told us to take what they give us and they gave us over the top,” Abushanab said. “And when I saw I had the over the top, it was just open space, so I just kind of worked my magic from there and I just went to the hoop and got the layup.”

It was a game-deciding moment for Abushanab. The senior had been giving the Saxons (8-7, 2-1) fits all game long as part of the Hilltoppers’ 1-3-1 zone scheme.

“It’s a hard defense to prepare for,” said Schaumburg coach Jason Tucker. “That’s a great 1-3-1.”

The Hilltoppers used their length and kept their hands active to force the Saxons outside and push their offense to the perimeter.

“It’s just effort,” said Glenbard West coach Jason Opoka. “We break down our defense all the time and it’s about tips, deflections and steals to create offensive opportunities.”

Abushanab got one of those opportunities early when he tipped a Schaumburg pass, stole the ball and converted it with a dunk on the other end to open the Hilltoppers lead to 18-11 with 5:04 to play in the second quarter.

He got another fastbreak opportunity with 6:19 to play in the third as the 6-foot-5 standout once again deflected a pass and took it the length of the floor, this time laying it in to give Glenbard West a 31-19 lead.

The stern defensive approach made it difficult for the Saxons to battle back for most of the day.

“Jason (Opoka) does a phenomenal job with that 1-3-1. So it takes a while to adjust to it. I thought we did a better job in the second half and had a chance to win,” Tucker added.

As the game wore on, Schaumburg senior guard Tony Horton started to find space inside more consistently.

Horton scored 7 of his 11 points in the second half, and he created several second-chance opportunities for Saxons big man Cam Anderson to clean up.

Anderson led Schaumburg with 15 points and was a consistent presence on the glass.

“We needed to penetrate more in that zone, and I thought we did a better job in the second half,” Tucker said. “I thought if we’d done the first half, we would have won the game.”

Horton stole a Hilltoppers pass and laid it in to cut into the lead with just over seven minutes remaining.

He then slid a pass to teammate Ray Black, who scored through contact and converted an and-one opportunity to make the lead a mere two points with four minutes to play.

“Hats off to Schaumburg, they picked up their intensity. They didn’t stop. They kept fighting. And they made it difficult for us,” Opoka added. “The game got physical, and we didn’t match the physicality … they got confidence, and they played a heck of a game.”

Saxons senior Aiden Patterson nailed a midrange jumper to close the lead to just one at the 2:34 mark.

Schaumburg then forced the Hilltoppers into a shot-clock violation before Anderson tossed in a game-tying putback bucket with 4.9 seconds to play.

From there it was all Abushanab. The Hilltoppers lobbed him a pass near midcourt and he ran past a flurry of Saxons on his way to the game-winning layup.

“We know teams are going to double him. We know teams are gonna run at him. He’s got to be a facilitator, he’s got to be willing to share it, but also he’s so talented,” Opoka said about Abushanab.

The win will give the Hilltoppers momentum as they prepare to face West Aurora next Saturday.

Schaumburg will look to bounce back against Christ the King on Monday.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20260103/boys-basketball/boys-basketball-abushanab-layup-at-the-buzzer-lifts-glenbard-west-past-schaumburg/