By Bobby Narang
No matter the records or standings, the St. Charles East-St. Charles North High School boys basketball matches are always must-see basketball.
Friday night, the St. Charles East Saints pulled out a memorable 56-51 victory over their crosstown rivals in a key DuKane Conference game.
Marco Klebosits played a big part in the victory, scoring 19 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and tallying three steals. The 6-foot-4 senior forward hit several big shots down the stretch to keep the North Stars from mounting a winning comeback.
Geneva’s Hudson Kirby is turning into a player to watch in the DuKane Conference after helping the Vikings knock off Batavia last week. The Geneva Vikings swept the season series over the Bulldogs for the first time in six seasons, earning a 68-44 win. Kirby led the charge in both wins, scoring a team-best 18 points in the first game and exploding for a game-high 31 points in the second meeting.
The 6-foot-6 forward, a Wisconsin-Parkside recruit, is closing the regular season on a tear. He scored on a layup at the buzzer in Geneva’s 52-50 overtime victory over Glenbard North February 4.
“He was just outstanding tonight,” Geneva coach Scott Hennig said of Kirby. “Even the shots he missed were good shots toward the basket. It just shows a kid that’s been willing to accept feedback and then go put the work in. It’s not like he’s a Division I kid, Power Five player. He’s just a local kid who loves playing basketball that wants to keep getting better.”
Geneva has been on a roll since losing two straight games to Antioch and West Aurora, winning five straight games heading into Wednesday’s game at Wheaton North.
The DuKane Conference race is heating up with Geneva (22-4, 11-0) leading the pack, just ahead of Wheaton Warrenville South (20-7, 9-2) and Glenbard North (12-13, 6-5) while St. Charles East (14-12, 5-6), Batavia (12-15, 4-7), Wheaton North (11-14, 4-7), Lake Park (10-17, 4-7) and St. Charles North (6-18, 1-10) round out the standings.