Passing the ball is Mike Loizzo`s forte. Getting passed over in the scoring column is his lot in life as Glenbard North`s point guard.
After all, the 5-foot-10-inch senior hadn`t started until this season. And when you`ve got a 6-7 center named LaRue Martin, the son of a former NBA player of the same name, you want the ball in his hands.
Or, in the possession of 6-3 shooting guard Roger Suchy, who exudes confidence.
So Loizzo has made himself comfortable working in the shadows for the once-beaten Panthers as they stake their claim to legitimacy in the Class AA state tournament.
Except for Tuesday night, when a hardy band of dreamers from Wheaton North spent 24 minutes living out that Cinderella fantasy. You know the venerable storyline: A down-and-out bunch with five wins all season rises up almost magically in a shocking upset.
It might`ve happened to Glenbard North if not for Loizzo hitting six of eight three-point shots in a 75-55 win in a West Aurora sectional game at Glenbard. The 25-1 Panthers face Wheaton Central Friday. Loizzo, who averages four points a game, finished with 18.
Wheaton North (5-19), which had lost 77-51 and 69-52 to Du Page Valley Conference champion Glenbard, came prepared. The Falcons deployed a diamond-and-one defense with Frank Pettaway shadowing Suchy and collapsing on Martin whenever he touched the ball.
”They had three guys on LaRue and one on Roger, somebody had to be open,” Panthers coach Bob Miller said. ”The kid who was open was Loizzo. That`s all they were giving us.”
While an overconfident Glenbard was giving the Falcons all the slack they wanted. Following the lead of guard Derek Hoffman`s four three-pointers, Wheaton North sank nine from beyond the arc. The Falcons led 29-24 just 3 minutes, 14 seconds before halftime when Glenbard went on a 13-2 tear to lead 37-31 at intermission.
”We didn`t want them so close,” Loizzo said. ”At halftime, we talked about pulling away.”
But with Hoffman (19 points), Brian Stier (13) and Bart Bonga (12)
finding the range, Wheaton went into the fourth quarter trailing just 47-41.
”I was nervous every time they would get close,” Loizzo said. ”They were hitting everything they shot. There`s no way we wanted to lose in the first round to Wheaton North.”
Loizzo and Suchy helped speed up the arrival of midnight for the underdog Falcons. They hit back-to-back threes that sent Glenbard on its way to a 28-14 edge in the fourth quarter. Suchy finished with 21 points while 6-5 Dave Oberwise had 21 points and Martin 10 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots.
”No matter what you say, you can see it in their eyes,” Miller said.
” `Coach, we`ve beaten them twice. Why are you talking to us?`
”This is the kind of game you worry about. We didn`t play well defensively, didn`t anticipate screens, didn`t see the ball well on the court. We didn`t challenge their outside shot, and they buried us on it.”
”If we play like we did tonight, we`ll get eliminated early,” Suchy said. ”Mike won the game for us tonight with all those threes.”
