OPRF boys basketball to face undefeated Proviso East for first conference championship

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 12:45 PM

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The OPRF boys basketball team has a formidable opponent in undefeated and second-ranked Proviso East tonight. J.Geil/Photo Editor

By Brad Spencer

Sports Editor

The OPRF boys basketball team closes out the regular season tonight with a game against Proviso East for the first West Suburban Conference championship.

The Huskies, 18-5 overall and winners of the Silver Division, will take on the Gold Division winner Proviso East in Maywood at 6 p.m. The Pirates are undefeated with 24-straight victories and currently ranked second in the state. OPRF is ranked 18th.  

“This is a great way to end the regular season and it’s special to be a part of this historic game,” said OPRF head coach Matt Maloney, who added that the decision to converge the two divisions for a conference championship came about after consultations between coaches and athletic directors from schools in the league.

Proviso East edged fourth-ranked Warren 73-66 on Saturday. The Pirates are led by 6-foot point guard Keith Carter. The Huskies will try to counter Carter’s explosiveness with the Bradley-bound Ka’Darryl Bell and senior power forward Gabe Levin, who has posted five double-doubles in points and rebounds in the last six games. 

No matter the outcome tonight, OPRF is the No. 2 seed in the Class 4A Schaumburg Sectional and will likely take on 13th-seed Lyons on Tuesday, Feb. 28 (7:30 p.m.) in the Lyons Regional. The winner of that game will play either Leyden or Morton in the regional championship on Friday, March 2 (7:30 p.m.).