Maine South's second half dime show leads to home win over Deerfield

After defeating arch-rival Loyola Academy 47-36 on Friday in Wilmette, Maine South returned to Park Ridge on Saturday afternoon for its home opener against Deerfield.

Trailing 21-14 midway through the second quarter, the Hawks outscored the Warriors 50-25 and roll to a 64-46 Central Suburban League crossover win and improve to 2-0.

Leading 27-23 at the half, the Hawks second-half interior passing game was a thing of beauty to watch. In the second half, Maine South scored 17 baskets and assisted on 16 of them.

Hawk 6-foot-6 senior Marko Anderson tallied his first double-double of the season scoring a game-high 24 points and hauling down 10 rebounds. Anderson also was a part of the Hawks' dime show handing out four assists.

Friday's Hawks' hero at Loyola, senior Sean Gallery, scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. All four of Gallery's fourth quarter buckets, came off of Hawk assists.

"After the big win over a great Loyola program, last night, we really wanted to win here and improve to 2-0," Anderson said, "Like last night, we started out slow but then started to pick it up. At halftime Coach (Tony Lavorato) said to just play good defense and run our offense, which we did to get the win."

Deerfield came out in the first quarter and hit six of their first eight shots in the quarter for a 15-9 lead.

Trailing 21-14 with four minutes remaining in the first half, the Hawks closed out the first half on a 13-2 run to take a 27-23 lead. Anderson led the Hawks with 11 points and six rebounds at the break.

In the third quarter the dime show began led by the play of Hawk sophomore Ryan Leyden who scored six third-quarter points, hauled down five rebounds and dished out two of his five assists.

"In the second half we really started to screen well on offense and that led to our great assists and backdoor lay-ups," Leyden said. "We also played great defense."

Deerfield would not go away and with 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Hawk senior Milan Adamovic's second long-range three point bomb and his third of the game, gave the Hawks a 45-38 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

"After the big win at Loyola last night we wanted to improve to 2-0," Adamovic said. "We all played great defense tonight and hit our shots to beat a very good Deerfield team."

A 6-0 run led by two Gallery buckets to start the fourth quarter put the Hawks up 51-38.

Game over.

One of Friday night's Hawk stars, senior Nikola Zelenovic went beyond the arc for three more 3's and finished with nine points.

"Our interior passing game was very good today," Lavorato said. "We ran our offense well in the second half.

Marko (Anderson) played well and was able to get his double-double today.

"What an amazing first game of the season for Deerfield. They hit all of their shots in the first quarter and really played well."

"Ryan (Leyden), was up with us as a freshman and is your prototypical blue collar player. He plays very hard for us. Milan (Adamovic) and all our three-point shooters shot well for us," Lavorato continued.

"We have our first four game week, next week. Vernon Hills on Monday. A Tuesday game with Streamwood, who returns all five starters from last season and a pair of CSL South games with Glenbrook South, next weekend."