Ziv Tal scored more than half of the Highland Park boys basketball team’s points and he outscored the entire Deerfield team in the Giants’ 50-26 victory on Friday. But after the Central Suburban North win in Deerfield, Tal talked about team defense.
The Giants limited their district rival to two points in the first quarter, eight in the second and four in the third.
“We knew what to expect and we were well prepared,” said Tal, a 6-foot-1 senior who scored 27 points. “When they got the ball inside to their tall guys we double-teamed them. We kept going where the ball was.”
Deerfield had a decided height advantage with 6-9 sophomore Brandon Lieb at center and 6-8 junior Jackson Kenyon at power forward. The tallest player in the Giants’ starting lineup was 6-2 senior forward Jonny Koenig.
Giants coach Paul Harris said Highland Park (9-6, 5-0) has dealt with a height disadvantage all season. He had a one-word answer for his team’s solution: Relentless.
“Relentless is the term we’ve been using all season,” Harris said. “Every player has to be in relentless pursuit all the time.”
Twice in the first half, a Deerfield player was double-teamed near the basket and whistled for a five-second violation.
“That’s one way of being relentless,” Harris said. “When they went low our guys were there. When they brought the ball out front we were out there. We knew what their looks were going to be and we were effective.”
Tal finished with six made shots from 3-point range. He opened the game with a pair of 3s and scored eight points in the opening quarter. He added three baskets before halftime that came off dribble penetration.
“My teammates saw I was hot and kept getting me the ball,” Tal said. “They kept it away from their defense and I got open shots. When they came out on me I was able to drive.”
Koenig added 10 points for Highland Park. Alex Casieri, a senior guard, led Deerfield (6-11, 3-2) with seven points.
Steve Sadin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
