Introduction to the Game
There are a few hundred high school basketball games around the area over the busy Martin Luther King weekend, and no team emerged from all the action with more of a buzz around it than Lakes. The Eagles entered the weekend barely over.500 and knocked off Deerfield on Saturday and No. 13 Fremd on Monday.
Grayslake Central’s Strategy
Grayslake Central was watching. “There is an account on X that ranks all the teams in Lake County, and we were No. 6,” Rams senior Alex Granville said. “[Lakes] was ahead of us. They are a pretty good team, but we thought we were better. We wanted to come out and show everyone how much better we think we are.” Grayslake Central held Lakes without a field goal for an eight-minute stretch of the first half and went on to win 54-31 on Friday in Lake Villa.
The Game Analysis
“Central just defends at such a high level,” Lakes coach Chris Snyder said. “They took us out of it early and it just compounded from there.” The Rams are deep and experienced. Granville led with 14 points and five rebounds. Senior guard Carson Woods scored 13 and senior forward Cole Halverson added 12 points.
Lakes’ Aidan Hopkins (12) moves the ball against Grayslake Central’s Verton Freeman (40).
Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times
Lakes (11-8, 5-2) shot 3 for 24 from three-point range and nothing really went right for the team. But the Eagles’ upside, which emerged against Fremd, was still plain to see.
The Players’ Performance
Juniors Dorian Pullen, Carter Martin and Ben Newcomb and senior Aidan Hopkins are crafty, stylish players. Newcomb, who scored 98 points in four games at the Hinkle Holiday Classic last month, finished with eight points. Martin also scored eight. Hopkins added five points and seven rebounds. “We have some guys that can score,” Snyder said. “We missed a lot of shots that were falling the last five games. That’s how it goes sometimes. And they are hard to come back on because they defend so well.”
Conclusion
Grayslake Central (15-6, 6-1 Northern Lake County) has been one of the area’s most underrated programs since Centella took over. The Eagles have won at least 20 games the past four seasons and advanced to a supersectional in 2023. The playoff path in Class 3A is promising this season, but Centella isn’t looking ahead. He’s focused on a big matchup against Deerfield on Saturday. “Certainly, when you take DePaul Prep out it looks different,” Centella said.
FAQs
Q: What was the final score of the game between Grayslake Central and Lakes?
A: Grayslake Central won 54-31.
Q: Who led Grayslake Central in points and rebounds?
A: Alex Granville led with 14 points and five rebounds.
Q: What is Grayslake Central’s record this season?
A: Grayslake Central is 15-6, 6-1 Northern Lake County.
Q: Who are some of the key players for Lakes?
A: Juniors Dorian Pullen, Carter Martin and Ben Newcomb and senior Aidan Hopkins are some of the key players for Lakes.
