Dom gets 34 but needs a little help
At times it seems like Dom Martinelli does it all for Glenbrook South. He scores the bulk of the points, grabs nearly all of the rebounds and even handles the ball a significant amount.
But everyone needs help, especially against Evanston’s fast, athletic, sharpshooting attack.
That’s where Martinelli, a 6-4 senior, had an ace up his sleeve on Thursday in Glenview. He had two highly motivated, talented sophomores by his side. And they aren’t just normal teammates.
“Cooper [Noard] and [Martinelli’s brother Nick] have never played against Evanston, so this was a huge game for them,” Martinelli said. “I’ve played with them a long, long time. Cooper and Nick are best friends, and obviously Nick is my brother, so we know each other pretty well. It’s a great connection with us three on the court. That really helped tonight. I couldn’t have done it on my own.”
The No. 22 Titans knocked off No. 2 Evanston 67-53 in a key Central Suburban South game.
Dom Martinelli finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. He has put up incredible numbers all season, and a win over the Wildkits is exactly what he needed to start getting serious Player of the Year consideration.
“I’ve watched all of his games since I was a little kid, and I’ve never seen anyone that can stop him,” Nick Martinelli said. “And that opens up everything. Cooper had a phenomenal game, and it got me wide open.”
Noard had 15 points and went 3-for-4 from three-point range. Nick Martinelli added eight points, four rebounds and two blocks.
“This win means so much,” Nick Martinelli said. “This is just the best feeling. I’ve never had something like it in my life.”
The Titans have been ranked and respected around the area since the preseason, but a dominant win over Evanston will open some eyes.
“For this program, where we have been the last three years, it is a big deal,” Glenbrook South coach Phil Ralston said. “I don’t want us to get too high or too low about it. It’s a fantastic win, but if this is the best we can do, then what are we saying about our season?”
The Titans (20-3, 7-0) led 40-38 after three quarters and opened the fourth with an 8-0 run and never allowed the Wildkits (20-3, 6-1) back in the game.
Junior Blake Peters led Evanston with 16 points, Isaiah Holden scored 15 and Jaylin Gibson added 13 points and seven rebounds.
“We were able to jam their shooters,” Ralston said. “Peters didn’t have any clean looks until late in the fourth quarter. Danny Pauletto is the unsung hero. He did a fantastic job of getting right into [Peters’] shorts and never letting him get started.”
Evanston won its first 18 games this season. The Wildkits have hit a rough patch of the schedule and have had mixed results, beating Bloom and New Trier and losing to the Titans, Loyola and Zion-Benton in the last 10 days.
“For some reason, all of a sudden we feel like we can walk out on a floor and pick up a win,” Evanston coach Mike Ellis said. “I’m not going to blame it on the schedule. I’m going to put it in the hands of us trying to be a little more determined.”
Evanston was 6-for-23 from three-point range.
“We don’t play like underdogs anymore, and that is how we were when we were playing well,” Ellis said.