Max Steele’s fourth-quarter, shot-clock-beating, 3-point try from up top rattled around the rim, bounced off the backboard and fell through the hoop.

Of course it did.

“Max, No. 5,” Carson Loughlin said of his Naperville North teammate, “is a great shooter. When he releases it, we’re all like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s in.’ ”

Naperville North rarely missed a shot from outside the 3-point arc, and Steele didn’t miss any of his five, during the Huskies’ 65-48 win over Cary-Grove on Monday in a winners-bracket game on Day 2 of Jacobs’ Hinkle Holiday Classic in Algonquin.

North shot 21 of 36 (58%) from the floor, including a sizzling 13 of 17 (76%) from 3-point range. Loughin scored a game-high 20 points, making all three of his 3-point attempts. Jack Zitko (4 of 6 from 3) added 14 points, while Steele had 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Miles Okyne added 10 points, making his only 3-point shot.

North (11-2), which won for the sixth time in a row, advances to Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. game against Geneva (10-0), which outlasted Lakes 59-52 in overtime Monday.

Cary-Grove (9-2) saw its eight-game winning streak snapped. North handed the Trojans their first loss since Nov. 25 against Barrington at Johnsburg’s Thanksgiving tournament.

“It’s a really good team,” C-G coach Adam McCloud said of North. “They shot it better than I think we were expecting them to do. I think that was the difference in the game – their ability to finish possessions with makes. They’re a tough matchup. I liked the ways our guys fought and battled, but it was their night tonight."

Zitko’s left-corner 3-pointer snapped a 13-all tie early in the second quarter, commencing a 21-6 run that allowed the Huskies to take a 34-19 lead into halftime. North even got a 3 from Jake Victor off the bench. It was Victor’s only shot of the game.

“We know we’re a great-shooting team,” Loughlin said. “The starting five, everybody on the bench, we can all spray it. Shots were falling tonight. It was great. Everybody’s confidence was up. It was a great game. Great team win.”

Adam Bauer led C-G with 13 points and six rebounds. The 6-foot-7 forward/center threw down a pair of two-handed, chin-up dunks in the first half and almost had a third, settling for a two-handed lay-in off an alley-oop pass from AJ Berndt.

By Bauer’s count, he has about 10 dunks this season. He has shown better technique than last season.

“I’ve been working on it,” Bauer said after shooting 6 of 12 from the floor and 1 of 2 from the foul line. “I guess I would say I’m more comfortable [dunking] this year.”

North’s momentum-changing second quarter saw the Huskies shoot 5 of 5 from beyond the arc, while C-G went 0 of 6. Zitko hit two 3s in both the second and third quarters. Loughlin drained one in the third, as the Huskies twice built their lead to 26 points.

Berndt’s left-corner 3 cut C-G’s deficit to 52-34 with 5:46 left in the fourth. But when Steele’s top-of-the-key 3 banked in 30 seconds later, the outcome was all but official.

“All year we’ve been getting everybody involved,” Loughlin said. “Everybody’s been getting their points, getting their touches. I think our defense is the best part of our team. Our offense leads to defense, and our defense leads to offense, giving us those transition looks.”

Dylan Dumele and Berndt had 10 and eight points, respectively, for the Trojans. Berndt delivered a pair of assists on layups to his younger brother Jackson.

C-G resumes tournament play Tuesday with a 4:30 p.m. tipoff against Lakes (6-5).

“We had high hopes for this tournament, about going a little farther, but that’s OK,” Bauer said. “We’ll come back [Tuesday] looking for another win.”

https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/2025/12/23/hot-shooting-naperville-north-cools-off-cary-grove/