DGS Stuns East Aurora

Downers Grove South more than met its challenge on the opening night of its boys basketball season.

Pitted against East Aurora and all-state guard Ryan Boatright, a Connecticut recruit, the Mustangs employed tenacious switching defenses and an opportunistic offense to record a 67-54 victory over the Tomcats Monday night in first-round action of the St. Charles East Thanksgiving Invitational.

"We just wanted to give Boatright different looks," said South guard Danielius Jurgutis, a senior transfer from St. Joseph. "We confused him."

Boatright opened the game with consecutive 3-pointers, but South countered with a patterned offense that produced an inordinate number of inside scores.

Jurgutis had 13 points by the intermission as the Mustangs (1-0) overcame the Tomcats' collective quickness with efficient half-court play.

"I got some good passes from my teammates," Jurgutis said of his first-half production. "I just had a few easy baskets and that helped me get going offensively."

With South missing two starters—Jerron Wilbut and Kevin Honn—the squad needed other players to step to the forefront.
 John Lithio more than answered the call. The senior, a first-year varsity member, led all player with 24 points to supplement Jurgutis' 22.

"He didn't play a lick of varsity last year," South coach Jay Baum said of Lithio.

The 6-foot-4 forward feasted on the undersized Tomcats, scoring 10 of his game-high total in the second quarter; the Mustangs led 33-29 at the break.

East Aurora (0-1) started quickly in the third quarter, taking the last of its two leads.

But the key stretch came late in the third quarter, when Boatright was whistled for his fourth foul on a charging call.
 The electrifying guard, who was twice called for goaltending, was the Mustangs' focal point the entire game.

"We wanted to make sure Boatright didn't go crazy," Baum said.

"He is one of the best guys in the state at getting to the paint," Jurgutis said.

But the Mustangs' combination of zone and man defenses—with Jamall Millison assigned to him in the latter—frustrated Boatright into a 5-for-16 performance from the field.

"I just had a bad game," Boatright said. "When I sat down (with the fourth foul), they took off on an eight-point run. That was the turning point in the game."

"It limited their offense," Lithio said of Boatright going to the pines. "That was key."

South led 46-38 after three quarters, and Jurgutis and Millison fed each other for consecutive layups to start the fourth quarter as the Mustangs built the first of several double-digit leads.

Six-foot-8 post Ziggy Riauka had 15 rebounds for South, which will play St. Charles North in second-round play on Tuesday afternoon.

Millison was the third South player in double figures with 10 points.

Boatright finished with 17 points — 11 fewer than his junior year average. His backcourt mate, Snoop Visor, led East Aurora with 22 points.