‘I was eager’ Braden Huff, Glenbard West run away from York in much-awaited season opener

GLEN ELLYN – Every basketball player in Illinois is eager to get back on the court, but Braden Huff maybe had a little extra motivation Saturday.

He’s waited a while.

Huff, Glenbard West’s 6-foot-10 junior, missed the last eight games of a promising sophomore season with a dislocated elbow. Then, like the rest of the state, he waited while the coronavirus pandemic delayed this season for over two months. And then the Hilltoppers had a potential season opener Friday at Glenbard East postponed.

“I was eager,” Huff said. “It’s been over a year since I got to play in a real basketball game. Obviously we were uncertain about even having a season, so I was excited.”

Huff played like it. He posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and was part of a stifling defensive effort in Glenbard West’s surprisingly one-sided 51-22 win over York on Saturday at Biester Gym.

The game, a matchup between West Suburban Silver rivals hastily scheduled over the last couple days with the conference slate not starting until next Friday, felt every bit a pandemic-unique experience.

Both teams wore masks and there was no jump ball to start the game, state requirements. There were no fans, a conference decision. When the teams cleared the gym for halftime, the roar of the heater could be heard in the eery quiet of an empty space. Before the game, the two teams circled the gym, socially-distant, for the anthem.

“We were just trying to space out because of COVID; it’s a crazy year,” Huff said. “We’re just trying to stay safe.”

The Hilltoppers never trailed after a 7-0 start, led 23-15 at halftime, and gained separation from there.

Huff scored eight of his 15 points in the third quarter, keying a 14-2 run out of the break. Huff, showing an expanded game with 15-20 pounds of added muscle, scored on a drive while absorbing contact, muscled in a follow shot, then made a nifty scoop shot off a spin in the lane.

“Over quarantine, it’s given me time to get stronger,” Huff said. “Last year teams were physical with me.”

Caden Pierce scored all 12 of his points after halftime, and Paxton Warden added 10 points. Warden, fouled on a 3-pointer, converted the four-point play for a 35-17 lead with 3:19 left in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Glenbard West’s defense held York to just seven points after halftime.

“We’ve matured,” Glenbard West coach Jason Opoka said. “We’ve got bigger, we’ve got stronger and we dedicated ourselves to the weight room and improved on the deficiencies we had last year. We loved our defense throughout the game, especially the third quarter.”

York, which had nine official practices under its belt with first-year coach Mike Dunn, missed its first seven shots of the game – and it didn’t get much better. The Dukes settled down a bit in the second quarter, but were just 3-for-21 from the 3-point line, and struggled with Glenbard West’e length and 1-3-1 zone.

Alex Sherman scored six points to pace the Dukes, who graduated standout guard Nate Shockey off last year’s 28-win Silver champs.

“I think every coach would say the same thing, we’re excited to be back,” Dunn said. “We have to get through the weekend, stay safe and healthy, get back to practice Monday and get back at it – and we have to knock down some shots. That’s the bottom line. You have to put the ball in the basket to win basketball games.”

The game was quite the reversal of the last meeting between the two teams, a 53-25 York win last January in Elmhurst. And it perhaps showed the growth of Glenbard West and its stellar junior class, led by Huff and Pierce.

“Last year they definitely gave it to us,” Huff said. “They’re still a really good team. But we’ve grown a lot. We were pretty young last year.”