The first meeting between the Northwest Lions (4-6) and Parkway South Patriots (7-2) since the 2020-21 season yielded the same result, as the visiting Patriots traveled to Cedar Hills on Dec. 21 and defeated Northwest 58-43.
“We were really worried about their size,” Parkway South boys’ basketball head coach Phil McGuire said. “They are so big, and they execute and finish so well near the rim.”
A few of the same faces from Parkway South’s 59-53 victory two seasons ago appeared in this year’s rematch, including Patriots junior forward Eddie Ahearn and senior guard Evan Renz as well as a pair of Lions, junior Alex Drexler and senior Jeff Lentz.
Drexler, the Class 4 soccer Goalie of the Year for Northwest, displayed once again how his athletic ability is translating from the soccer pitch to the basketball court, scoring a team-high 14 points, including 10 in the second half alone.
The output proved not to be enough, however, as an opposing star—Renz—took center stage and tallied one of the best performances of his high school career.
Renz scored a season-high 22 points, his most since scoring 27 points against O’Fallon Christian last year, with six 3-pointers. His long-range shooting counteracted the height of Northwest, one of the county’s lengthiest teams, and forced the Lions into uncomfortable defensive situations.
“They came out (and) they shot the lights out,” Northwest head coach Andrew Moore said. “(Renz) made some tough threes and then we had to dare the other kids to make (3-pointers), and they did.”
Parkway South made 10 3-pointers, which accounted for half of its total field goals. Senior guard Jaylen Calloway added onto Renz’s efficient display with a trio of 3-pointers, finishing with nine points.
Ahearn was the Patriots’ leading scorer the last time the two teams met. He had a relatively quiet night but still scored 10 points. Creating a fierce quartet, senior guard Demonte Hurt added 11 points to give Parkway South three double-digit scorers.
Northwest looked poised to compete against the Suburban Conference Green Pool foe, jumping out to an early lead behind its noticeable height advantage in the low post, namely with Drexler, senior Joe Wright and junior Stefan Higgins.
“We’re slowly but surely learning how to use (our height),” Moore said. “With defense, it’s been causing a lot of problems because we have so much length, so no matter what, you’re going to get a contested shot.”
The first few minutes, however, showcased an emphasis on perimeter defense, as Lentz swiped two steals during the game’s first three minutes, helping the Lions strut out to a quick 4-0 advantage. That lead evaporated within minutes though, as Renz drilled his first attempt from beyond the arc and Hurt added another from the wing.
Utilizing its length and quickness on the defense end, Northwest scored four consecutive points off turnovers, courtesy of Higgins and Drexler. The former made his impact felt just minutes later, as Higgins grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a second-chance layup before Ahearn drove to the lane to end the first quarter with a layup and decrease the Parkway South deficit to one point.
Renz scored nine of his points in the ensuing second quarter alone, helping the Patriots take the lead by scoring Parkway South’s first eight points of the quarter. He tied the game with a 3-pointer from the top of the arc following an opening basket from Northwest senior Cameron Wieczorek and added a midrange jumper a couple minutes later to give the Patriots the lead for good.
“It was easy because they were in a zone (defense), and my teammates were getting me wide open,” Renz said.
The standout senior continued his impressive start to the quarter, grabbing a steal on the ensuing defensive possession and turning that turnover into three points when he drained a 3-point jumper from well beyond the arc on the left wing, extending the lead to 19-14. He shot 6-13 from beyond the arc in total.
“Several NBA players have said you just (need to) find a good shot, get where you’re comfortable and it’s just repetitions at that point” Renz said.
A layup by Higgins and a free throw from Patriot junior center Ross McCulla brought the score to 20-16, which is when Parkway South brought the pressure.
The Patriots began a full-court press immediately following the second free throw, bringing a double-team toward the ball and forcing Northwest to work itself down the entirety of the court.
“(The press) has been our Achilles heel,” Moore said. “When teams press, I don’t think it’s a secret. So, we’re working on it.”
Parkway South’s pressure instantly impacted the Lions’ offense, as the Patriots forced several turnovers throughout the remainder of the first half. From those mistakes, Parkway South scored four points, including a fast-break layup from Ahearn.
Perhaps the highlight of the second quarter for Northwest occurred right before the buzzer, when Renz found an open shot from the corner, loaded up a shot and fired it into the hand of Drexler for a block. On an evening when the Patriots could not miss, the standout goalkeeper made yet another save.
During the halftime discussion, Moore mentioned that his message to the team centered on beating the press and that translated onto the court quite effectively to begin the second half.
Drexler made a pair of baskets to begin the third quarter, as Northwest passed its way through the press and found the junior in the post for open looks. The Lions’ success forced a Patriots timeout less than two minutes into the quarter, as they looked to stop the comeback.
After the timeout, however, Drexler once again received an easy opportunity, bringing Northwest within two points at 25-23.
Much like the rest of the game though, Parkway South found a way to shoot itself out of a tricky situation.
Calloway knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to spark an 18-5 run for the Patriots over the remainder of the third quarter. Parkway South once again found its groove on the defensive end, forcing a series of missed shots and turnovers to overwhelm the Northwest front.
The fourth quarter featured a series of runs, the first from the Lions, who scored the quarter’s first four points. The Patriots answered right back, scoring 10 consecutive points on a pair of three-pointers from Renz and Hurt as well as a pair of layups to force a Lions’ timeout. The two teams combined for 21 free throws in the quarter.
“For me, I saw growth,” Moore said. “I was satisfied with the things we’ve put in practice actually (being used) on the floor. For us, trying to rebuild the culture, that’s a big deal for me.”
Looking to bounce back after a defeat, the Lions will host Sullivan on Jan. 6, following an extended break for the holidays.