Nojel Eastern had eight points before Young made a shot, but it did not lead to one of the Evanston junior’s explosive offensive games.
Battling a cold, he was outstanding in bursts, and the 6-foot-5 junior guard rescued the Wildkits once Young dug itself out of a big hole.
Eastern scored eight points in the final 1 minute, 7 seconds of the third quarter after No. 15 Young took its only lead, and No. 7 Evanston pulled out a 65-58 victory Saturday at Glenbard East’s When Sides Collide event.
Among the top-ranked prospects in Illinois, Eastern scored 20 points — all in about four minutes of action. Malik Jenkins (13 points) made 10 of 12 fourth-quarter free throws as the Wildkits (17-2) recorded their best in-state win since at least Thanksgiving weekend.
“It is a great win for us,” Eastern said. “People doubt us a lot. We came out and showed what we can do. We have a great chance of making a run for state. We’re going to keep getting better in practice. We’ve got a full week.”
Eastern didn’t score for nearly two quarters after staking Evanston to a 10-0 lead, but the game seemed to be in hand with a 30-15 halftime advantage.
Young (12-7) pressured its way back in the third quarter, going on a 15-0 run to take a 37-36 lead.
Eastern countered with a three-point play with 1:07 left in the quarter, then he drove again for another bucket before closing the third with a 3-pointer that gave Evanston a 44-37 lead.
Young climbed back within 47-45 early in the fourth, then Eastern had four points in a 6-0 run, and the Dolphins never got closer than six again.
“The adrenaline kicked in and I put the team on my back and had to get the lead back,” Eastern said. “It was hard to breathe and get the oxygen I needed. I had to stay in the game, take control and slow it down, and Malik shot those big-time free throws.”
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
Player of the game: Nojel Eastern, Evanston, 20 points, 7 rebounds.
Key performers: Young — Lucas Williamson, 15 points, 7 rebounds. Evanston — Malik Jenkins, 13 points, 10-12 FTs.
