MN Boys Continue Successful Streak

junior forward Jordon Granger knows what's in store for his No. 1-ranked basketball squad.

"Every game we play, the other team comes in and gives us their best shot," said the 6-foot-8 inch jumping jack. "We're going to get their toughest game every time."

Monday was no exception.

Once again the Stars answered the challenge bouncing Cardinal Ritter Prep, 73-66, in the /Cardinal Ritter King Classic before a large crowd at North.

The Stars, ranked first in the state, improved to 17-0 with a methodical, business-like effort that brought a smile to the face of hard-to-please coach Randy Reed.

"Two storied programs, a tough basketball game and we came out on top in the end," he said. "We needed a game like (this), it's good for our mindset."

North is winning by an average of 22.5 points per game. Most importantly, the Stars are doing it against top-notch competition. There is nothing soft about their perfect mark.

"Coach sets us up with the toughest schedule," Granger said. "Cardinal Ritter is the quickest team we've played all year."

The Stars have knocked off such powerhouses as O'Fallon, IL, which finished fourth in the state last season, and Chicago Bogan, a toughie from the Windy City. Ritter, which fell to 9-4, sports one of the top small-school programs in the state.

Granger and senior guard B.J. Young led a spirited attack with 21 points each. Young, who is headed to the University of Arkansas, had a game-high eight assists. Granger, an NCAA Division I prospect, added 17 rebounds and six blocks. Senior guard Akintoye Okunrinboye recorded 10 of his team's 22 steals.

Junior Cameron Biedscheid led the Lions with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

The tightly-played contest featured 11 lead changes and 10 ties. North used an 18-8 run in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

"We got beat real bad on the boards, we just didn't rebound," said Ritter coach Marvin Neals. "It seemed to me they got a lot of second shots."

The Stars used their speed and up-tempo attack to wear Ritter down in the fourth quarter. In addition, all five starters contributed for the Stars. Senior Tephon Lindsey and junior Tremayne Garrett also came up big down the stretch.

"We played a great game as a team," Granger said. "This was a big win."

Granger turned in another in a series of strong efforts at both ends of the court. He had a pair of rousing slam dunks, both off picture-perfect passes from Young. Granger also brought the crowd to its feet with an intimidating rejection late in the second period.

Young began the fourth-quarter run with a coast-to-coast layup that pushed the Stars' lead to 54-51. More than a minute later, Lindsey added four quick points and Tyran Carey chipped in with a short jumper to give North a 63-56 cushion.

The Stars then scored seven of the next 10 points to grab a 70-59 lead, its biggest of the game.

Ritter got to within 70-66 on a baseline jumper by Biedscheid with 36 seconds left, but Carey and Lindsey hit three foul shots in the final 29 seconds to put the game away.

"We showed we can protect the lead in the fourth quarter," Reed said. "That's McCluer North basketball."

The teams will meet next season at Ritter on ’s Holiday.