Downers South Boys Turn Attention to West Suburban Gold Conference Play

There was consensus among the coaches who participated in the St. Charles East boys basketball tournament last week.

"It's the best Thanksgiving tournament in the state," East Aurora coach Wendell Jeffries said.

For Downers Grove South, its second year of participation produced a commendable start to the season.

The Mustangs opened the tournament with a solid victory over East Aurora and its standout guard Ryan Boatright,  who would later put on the individual performance of the tournament with a 55-point eruption as part of a triple-double against St. Charles North.

The same St. Charles North squad would prove a worthy opponent for the Mustangs in their second game as Jamal Millison fed center Ziggy Riauka for the game-winning basket in the waning seconds.

The Mustangs' bid for a championship berth was denied by Hales Franciscan, which eventually won the tournament over Proviso East.

Pitted against Schaumburg in the third-place game last Saturday, South overcame considerable deficits in both regulation and overtime to deny the Saxons by four points.

In their final game, the Mustangs welcomed back Jerron Wilbut and Kevin Honn, who missed the first three games due to undisclosed disciplinary issues.

"We're obviously a better team with them," said South coach Jay Baum, who noted the biggest aspect of their collective absence was the impact on his rotation. "We played with a lot of energy (against Schaumburg)."

Wilbut led both teams with 22 points in his season debut, and Honn not only sent the game into overtime with a left-wing three-pointer but also secured the 62-58 triumph with a steal in the final seconds of the extra session.

"It was tough watching (the first three games) and not being able to help my teammates," Honn said.

Wilbut is an athletic guard who had a personal seven-point run in the first quarter to demonstrate his skill set, especially in the open court.

The junior, along with his teammates, intensified the defensive pressure to turn the tide against Schaumburg, which was uncanny as a team beyond the arc with 14 three-point field goals in the game.

"We needed to get the stops to end the game for us," Wilbut said.

The Mustangs' success at St. Charles East was inconceivable without the play of Dan Jurgutis.

The senior transfer from St. Joseph, which was also in the eight-team field, was the glue to the Mustangs' offense.

He was awarded with the lone all-tournament selection for South, which opens West Suburban Gold play on the road Friday at Hinsdale South.

"I think it was a successful weekend because it was such great competition," Jurgutis said. "It wouldn't have meant as much if we went to another tournament and won four easy games. The tournament showed us where we're at as a team."

"We learned a lot at St. Charles," Baum said. "I like the fact we can play some different styles."