DePaul Prep relishes the road, dominates New Trier in statement sectional semi win

Loyola’s gym is too small to host a Class 4A sectional, but there are positives for fans that manage to snag a ticket. The sectional environment is always the best part of the season around the area, but in a smaller gym the intensity goes up several notches. Fans were standing in rows five deep around the upper level of the gym in Wilmette.

As No. 2 DePaul Prep took the court on Tuesday, boos rained down. And Rashaun Porter smiled.

“There is something about away games,” Porter said. “It just brings more energy when the crowd is against you, everybody looking at you as the underdog. We had our section, but it felt like 95% of it was New Trier fans.”

Porter and his teammates turned in one of the best performances the area has seen this season in a big game, dominating No. 10 New Trier 56-38.

“That is a talented team,” Trevians coach Scott Fricke said. “Our plan was good. We started the game kind of locked in defensively. But once the game gets going, they have so many gus that can make plays. Just very difficult.”

New Trier junior Matthew Logue scored with 5:15 left in the third quarter to pull the Trevians within 27-22 but they didn’t score again the rest of the quarter. DePaul Prep led 34-22 heading into the fourth.

“Maybe our experience showed,” Rams point guard AJ Chambers said. “It was tense going into it. We know that Danny [Houlihan] and Chris [Kirkpatrick] are killers. We just played together.”

Chambers finished with 10 points, and his overall defensive toughness set the tone on the perimeter. He had a running steal for an easy layup in the first half and then just ripped the ball out of a New Trier guard’s hands in the second half for another score.

“This is a high-pressure game in Wilmette,” DePaul Prep coach Tom Kleinschmidt said. “We knew the crowd would be against us. We had two good days of practice. We were patient in the zone to get layups and we valued the ball.”

The Rams had just six turnovers and outrebounding New Trier 23-16.

“We didn’t do a great job of rebounding, and we’ve outrebounded teams all season,” Fricke said. “A lot of it had to do with [DePaul]. They are so athletic and big and strong.”

Porter, a 6-7 Toledo recruit, led the Rams (30-3) with 16 points and six rebounds. Senior guard Rykan Woo scored 16 and Zion Lee added 11 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Most observers expected a close game, and the near blowout score will open eyes around the state. But Porter believes the Rams can hit an even higher level of play.

“We have some things we can improve on,” Porter said. “This was probably a six or a seven out of ten for us. I love this team. It is all unselfishness. No one is worried about scoring.”

Logue led New Trier (26-8) with 12 points and six rebounds. Kirkpatrick finished with 11 points.

DePaul Prep will face the winner of Wednesday’s Loyola vs. Evanston semifinal at Loyola on Friday.