[JRutledge]

prep boys basketball

Spartans' win 'bittersweet'
By Bob Hurst
Special to the Tribune

March 11, 2005, 11:30 PM CST

Glenbrook North's victory Friday night in the Class AA sectional final at Conant was both joyous and devastating emotionally.

It wasn't until after the Spartans defeated Conant 37-36 that coach Dave Weber—brother of Illinois coach Bruce Weber—found out that his mother, Dawn, had died before the game.

His players told him before the game that they were playing for him and were going to win for his mother. All they knew at the time was that their coach's mom was in surgery.

"It was bittersweet," said Glenbrook North assistant coach Bryan Halpern.

"Before the game we told Coach that we were going to do it for his mother," said the Spartans' Jon Scheyer, who scored a game-high 14 points.

Glenbrook North (28-2) advances to the Loyola supersectional Tuesday night. It's the Spartans' second trip to the Sweet 16 in the last three years.

In a thrilling finish, Conant missed two shots with five seconds remaining. Glenbrook North had gone ahead with 4:09 left on two free throws by Scheyer. Those were the last points of the game.

Conant (24-5) went ahead 36-32 at 6:10 of the fourth on baskets by Fred Taylor before Sean Wallis (12 points) started the final 5-0 surge for the Spartans with a three-pointer with 5:52 left.

The Spartans led 25-20 at halftime before Conant tied it 32-32 at the end of three quarters. Scheyer missed his first four shots of the third.

"Thank God for my teammates, because they really bailed me out," Scheyer said. "I didn't play my best game, but they picked me up."
Copyright © 2005, The Chicago Tribune