Wildkits Find Bigger Isn't Always Better

Any high school basketball coach would be reluctant to start a pair of 5-foot-9 players in his backcourt, knowing that opponents could pick on them with bigger guards and wear them down.

That’s one reason Mike Ellis hasn’t played Brandon Watson and Ian Peters together much as Evanston’s season has progressed.

But Ellis also realizes that bigger isn’t always better. And it was the undersized Watson and Peters who sparked the Wildkits to a 58-45 road victory at Maine South Friday night.

Watson, a senior, scored a game-high 18 points and Peters, a junior, made plays at critical junctures as Evanston pulled away from a 22-22 halftime deadlock with one of its best second-half performances of the new year.

Now 16-9, the Wildkits face Saint Patrick Saturday at 1 p.m. at the annual War On The Shore event at New Trier High School. Saint Patrick defeated Loyola 69-66 in overtime Friday night.

The matchup was right for both Watson and Peters to help Evanston end a two-game losing skid. Maine South sunk further into the Central Suburban League South division basement with an 0-8 record and is now 9-13 overall.

The Hawks couldn’t cope with Watson’s quickness --- and Peters’ smarts. The pair did combine for eight turnovers, but Watson added six rebounds to his 18 points and Peters finished with four points, four assists and three steals in his best effort since the Centralia Holiday Tournament.

“They were both a big part of that group we had out there in the second half that allowed us to dig out of a hole (down 31-24) and created a hole that Maine South couldn’t get out of,” said Ellis.

“Brandon did a great job defensively, and we were able to exploit that mismatch with his quickness and his ability to get downhill (with the ball). It’s hard to play with two guards under 6 feet so they’ve had to split a lot of the minutes this year. But they were both in there together in that stretch tonight where our defense helped us get the lead and then build on it.

“Playing time is a reflection of just how well you’re playing. Ian provided some stability for us, and he wasn’t getting hurt on defense. He did a great job of boxing out and keeping their guards from rebounding. He was a big reason we out-rebounded them 30-15. We needed five guys checking out on the boards on every possession tonight.”

Evanston outscored the hosts 15-0 to close out the third quarter, aided greatly by Maine South’s insistence on jacking up shots instead of working patiently to build on a seven-point advantage. The Hawks connected on their first four field goal attempts to start the second half, then misfired on seven in a row and helped the Kits claw their way back into contention.

Watson scored five points in that three-minute surge by the visitors and Peters had a hand in the rally, too. A Watson free throw boosted Evanston to a 35-31 lead, and on South’s ensuing possession, Peters sneaked up on the blind side of South ballhandler Matt Yadgar, picked his pocket and completed that theft with a layup.

Watson’s drive to the bucket with just one second remaining put the Kits on top 39-31 and the offensively-limited Hawks had to switch to catch-up mode. Evanston turned the ball over five times in the final period, but limited the damage and never led by fewer than eight points the rest of the game.

Watson connected on 7-of-12 field goal attempts and was backed up by freshman Vito Rocca, who netted a career-best 11 points. As a team, Evanston didn’t score a single 3-point field goal for the first time this season --- going 0-for-9 from beyond the arc --- but still shot 49 percent (21-of-43) from the floor.

Maine South shot 42 percent (18-of-43) in the loss and was led by Ethan De La Navarre with 12 points.

“We didn’t make any threes tonight, but they dug down deep and found other ways to win,” Ellis praised over the tumult of a joyous lockerroom. “They really played hard in the second half, and they deserve the opportunity to get excited about the way they played.”