Ammar Becar

Dons take down Deerfield to take the Sectional Championship Game first time since 1997!! Lets go Dons!!! Basketball 🏀

Boys Basketball: Notre Dame 69, Deerfield 48 Suburbs Lake County News-Sun Lake County Local Sports Boys Basketball: Notre Dame 69, Deerfield 48 Caption Boys Basketball: Notre Dame 69, Deerfield 48 Tracy Allen / Pioneer Press Notre Dame's Anthony D'Avanzo (10), Ammar Becar, Elvin Husejnovic (0), and Dylan Jaegar await the rush by the Notre Dame…

“They have a good combination, a couple good guys inside and guys that can shoot it,” Notre Dame coach Tom Les said. “They are disciplined and they play hard. That’s a good basketball team.”

I spoke with Gocobija after the game. You know a program is in a turnaround year when players tell you things are good because “everyone is coming to practice.”

Notre Dame senior Ammar Becar was an absolute monster. If you listen to No Shot Clock you know that I’m a big believer in his talent. He scored 33 points (six in overtime) and shot 13-for-19. These weren’t easy rebounds and put-backs either, they were mainly mid-range fadeaway jumpers.

“That was just one of those days,” Becar said. “I give all credit to my team for finding me in the spots I feel most comfortable and credit to Matt Stritzel for spreading the floor, which opened things up for me.”

Stritzel, the point guard, scored 25 and grabbed five rebounds. Jeameril Wilson, who received a lot of preseason hype, managed just four points and six rebounds. He hit two huge free throws in overtime.

“He hasn’t played with enough confidence so far this season,” Les said.

Overall it was a solid performance from Notre Dame. The Dons are long and have talent, but they are far from a finished product.

“Some of my seniors have to play a little better, a little more determined,” Les said. “We are finding ways to win, in spurts we play pretty good.” - Chicago Tribune

Michael O'Brien's notebook: Dec. 6, 2015 - Sun-Times High School Sports News and thoughts from Sunday's basketball action.