By Xavier Sanchez
Correspondent
On the eve of the area’s first winter storm of 2024 rolling in and eventually bringing with it sub-zero temperatures, Evergreen Park was heating up their gym with one of their most sizzling performances of the season.
Unfortunately, things got a little too heated.
With Evergreen Park dominating Bremen in a South Suburban Conference crossover on Jan. 11, an on-court altercation occurred early in the second half between a player from each team. Once things calmed down a bit, officials called the game with 5:50 remaining in the third quarter, giving the hosts a 51-16 victory.
Both schools are investigating the incident will decide whatever discipline they deem appropriate for their respective players, according to Evergreen Park coach Jim Sexton. The schools are also consulting with both the South Suburban Conference and the IHSA, Sexton added.
IHSA bylaws state any player ejected from an athletic contest is ineligible to participate in the next contest. A player can also incur penalties handed down by the conference in which their team plays, and their school.
“I have to be honest, I haven’t had this happen in my career, so I’m still waiting on guidance and next steps from the conference and [Evergreen Park Superintendent Tom O’Malley],” Sexton said.
Entering the matchup, the Mustangs (13-3, 3-2) were coming off a conference win over Reavis, while the Braves (5-14, 2-3) were looking to extend to three games their first winning streak of the season.
Evergreen Park started off quick and aggressive while opening an 8-0 lead, and held Bremen off the scoreboard until Jaron Powell scored with 3:08 to go in the first quarter. The Mustangs led 23-7 after one quarter and a 26-0 run to open the second extended that lead to 49-7.
The Mustangs led 49-13 at halftime.
Evergreen Park was without its top scorer, senior shooting guard Tre Dowdell. Senior Billy Buchanan helped make up for Dowdell’s absence by scoring 20 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Fourteen of those points and eight boards came in the second quarter.
Buchanan’s effort was just the latest, to that point of the season, of a string of strong performances for the 6-foot-5, 200-pound power forward.
“Billy has been huge for us and he has been the difference in the last five, six games,” Sexton said. “We are guard-oriented, but Billy’s presence down low scoring and rebounding has been big, especially with Tre out.”
Keshaun Crawl-Vaval finished with 12 points for the Mustangs.
The Mustangs played a cohesive, team-oriented game, with every player on the court seeming to touch the ball on each possession. Six players scored in the game.
“We do play really well as a team and share the ball well,” Sexton said, and noted Evergreen park as six players averaging at least nine points per game.
“It’s always important to pick up a conference win. We had two tough early conference losses to Oak Lawn and Oak Forest, so we are working hard to stay in the conference race.”