The Wheaton Warrenville South Boys’ Varsity basketball team defeated Glenbard North 46-28 on Feb. 15 at the Orange and Black Gym. With this victory, South earned the outright DuKane Conference championship for the third time in a row.

“It was very important,” WWS head coach Mike Healy indicated. “Obviously, we want to cut down nets and not share the conference championship, so to do all that in one night is special.”

This game was senior night for WWS Varsity Cheerleading, Dance, and Boys’ basketball. Each senior was honored in a ceremony before the match. Moreover, the first quarter was closely contested, with the Panthers getting off to a strong start. A JJ Hernandez buzzer-beating three-pointer gave Glenbard North an 11-8 advantage after eight minutes of play. Senior Jake Vozza kept South alive, scoring seven of the home team’s points in the opening quarter. Furthermore, WWS won the second quarter 13-0, consequently gaining a double-digit lead at halftime. The Tigers signature zone defense completely neutralized the Panthers’ offense. South continued their improved play in the third quarter, gaining a 32-16 lead entering the final period of the contest. A one-handed transition dunk from senior Braylen Meredith energized the atmosphere and put an exclamation point on the Tigers’ win.

Senior Brody Canfield led WWS in scoring with 11 points, while Meredith and Vozza both tallied nine. Hernandez led all scorers with 12 points for Glenbard North. The win improved the Tigers’ record to 26-5 overall and 12-2 in the DuKane Conference heading into the IHSA playoffs. South is the two seed in the Bartlett Sectional, like last year, and will face Glenbard East in the Regional Semifinals on Feb. 22.

“Try and get better, try and prepare, make sure that we’re healthy,” coach Healy noted. “Just take it one game at a time.”