Fenwick senior Jacob Keller clearly heard the chants during the Friars’ 63-57 win in overtime against rival OPRF at the Chicago Elite Classic Friday night.
A sea of orange and blue clad Huskie fans serenaded the Friars’ 6-3 point guard with a mocking chorus of “intentional grounding” and “Plainfield North” among others (alluding to Fenwick’s controversial 18-17 loss to Plainfield North in the state semifinals of the Class 7A football playoffs).
The unflappable Keller offered a sweet stat line in response to the taunts: 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals, two blocks and a spectacular dunk in 31 minutes.
“The chants didn’t really affect me or our team,” Keller said. “They just gave us a little more spark. It was a great atmosphere to play in. OPRF was taking shots at us all game, but we have a group of guys who are locked in and focused on what we need to do to win.”
He broke down the Huskies’ defense, as well as their spirit, by repeatedly penetrating the lane en route to a whopping 19 free throws.
Keller showed his toughness against OPRF, fighting through ankle and thigh issues. That competitive spirit is a major reason why he was an All-State football player in Class 7A.
Fellow senior Jamal Nixon supported Keller with 18 points, 11 rebounds and two steals. Sophomore guard Damari Nixon (eight points) and reserves Mike O’Laughlin (6 points, 2 rebounds) and DJ Steward (5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) also played key roles for the victors. Steward, a highly touted freshman, played with poise and confidence.
“We have a few young guys with pretty big roles in Damari and DJ,” Keller said. “Billy Bruce, AJ Nixon and Mike O’Laughlin also contribute in so many ways. I could talk all day about these guys.”
Fenwick (5-0) certainly needed an all hands on deck to hold off the Huskies.
OPRF rolled into the early season showdown with plenty of momentum after winning the Bill VandeMerkt Thanksgiving Classic title in convincing fashion, highlighted by a 79-62 win over host Riverside-Brookfield.
Against Fenwick, 6-foot-6 senior forward Jared Scott continued his high-caliber play with a team-high 17 points (making 7 of 9 field goal attempts), seven rebounds and a steal. Scott threw down a two-handed dunk for the Huskies’ first basket of the game and also showed his range making a couple of 3-pointers.
“Jared has improved in all facets of his game,” OPRF coach Matt Maloney said, “but what I’m most impressed with is his improved work ethic, leadership, intensity on defense and his rebounding.”
OPRF guard Isaiah Fuller had 11 points and three assists and senior forward Cameron Gross finished with nine points and nine rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
Trailing Fenwick 23-11 with 1:25 left in the second quarter, OPRF (4-1) went on a 9-2 run, courtesy of Scott’s two 3-pointers and a trey from Gross to pull to 25-20 at halftime.
In the back-and-forth third quarter, the Huskies’ 6-4 Phil Saleh canned a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 36-33 entering the fourth quarter.
Led by Keller and Jamal Nixon, the Friars maintained their slim lead for most of the fourth quarter, until Scott and Fuller came up huge for OPRF.
Trailing 47-42 with 3:13 left in regulation, Scott hit a couple of baskets inside to make the score 49-46.
With 1:52 remaining, Fuller scored on a layup in traffic and added a free throw to tie the score at 49-all. After Scott took a defensive charge, Fuller gave the Huskies a 51-49 lead on another layup which sent OPRF fans into a frenzy.
Scott, who finished 1-for-6 at the free throw line, missed a pair at the charity stripe, which would have padded the Huskies’ lead to four.
Keller didn’t make the same mistake, sinking two free throws to force overtime at 51-51.
In overtime, Keller and Jamal Nixon made eight free throws, collectively, to secure the Friars’ hard-fought win.
Scott said the Huskies’ slow start was a major issue.
“We didn’t come out to play,” Scott said. “We didn’t defend, we didn’t rebound and our energy and effort were just off. It really took us until the fourth quarter to play with the energy and effort we needed but we fell short.
“You have to give Fenwick credit; they just out-willed us. We deserved to lose the way we played, but I know our guys won’t let the season be defined by this loss. We’re only going to learn and become stronger cohesively.”
Reflective of the score, the team stats were close. Fenwick shot 20-for-44 (45.5%) and OPRF finished 18-for-44 (40.9%). The Friars outrebounded the Huskies 35-31 and had more assists 10-6. Both teams committed 18 turnovers and struggled at the free throw line as Fenwick shot 22-for-41 and OPRF 17-for-31.
“We didn’t play our best basketball and we still had an opportunity to win the game in regulation,” Maloney said. “We still feel our best basketball is ahead of us.
“I have to thank the OPRF student body who came out in huge numbers and showed the school spirit that makes OPRF so special.”
OPRF hits the road with games at Lyons Township, Friday, Dec. 9 (7:30 p.m. tip- off) and Sunday, Dec. 11 against Crete-Monee at the Derrick Rose Shootout at Moraine Valley College.
Fenwick visits St. Ignatius on Friday, Dec. 9. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
