Libertyville Pulls Away Versus Vernon Hills

<p>What a matchup we had last night at Libertyville High, as the Wildcats (5-3) defeated the Cougars from Vernon Hills (7-2), 58–43. Despite being a non-conference matchup between two Lake County programs, the energy in the building made it feel like a head-to-head conference showdown. The final score doesn't do justice to how competitive this game was through the first three quarters, before Libertyville eventually created separation in the fourth. Now, let's dive into some key headlines from the night and recognize prospects from both teams. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Score Breakdown</h2>   <p>1Q: 17-12 LIB</p>   <p>2Q: 31-26 LIB</p>   <p>3Q: 42-37 LIB</p>   <p>4Q: 58-43 LIB</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Battle of Two 2026 Bigs</h2>   <p>Winona State commit [player_tooltip player_id='1552460' first='Bryce' last='Wegrzyn'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2405260' first='Daniel' last='Odhiambo'] not only led their respective teams in scoring, but also showcased high-level skill on both ends of the floor. Starting with Wegrzyn, the 6'9” center had a somewhat slow start before picking up the pace as the game settled in. He showed his range early, knocking down a top-of-the-arc three in the first quarter, then followed it up with a strong perimeter drive to finish left-handed in the second.</p>   <p>Where Wegrzyn really made his presence felt was in the paint. He consistently made himself available for post entries and utilized his frame to finish through contact, converting and-1 opportunities and getting to the line, where he went 6-for-7. His rebounding was also a major factor, securing multiple boards on both the offensive and defensive glass to extend possessions and control the interior.</p>   <p>Switching over to Odhiambo, the 6'5” forward finished with 16 points, all coming from inside the paint. A calm, physical competitor, he displayed soft touch around the rim and strong instincts as a rebounder, including a timely putback just before halftime and one-handed boards in traffic. Odhiambo didn't shy away from the matchup with Wegrzyn offensively, showing patience, strength, and vertical pop when attacking. That included an impressive short baseline drive capped off with a smooth reverse finish.</p>   <p>Both bigs embraced the physicality of the matchup and delivered impactful performances that highlighted their athleticism, toughness, and interior presence.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Not an Easy Night for Wegrzyn</h2>   <p>To put it simply, Vernon Hills applied constant pressure on the big man, whether it came via double teams, timely dig downs, or quick help-side support. Credit 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1552448' first='Brady' last='Larsen'] for his willpower and physicality, as he served as the primary defender on the 6'9” center when he was in the game. Larsen stayed attached in the paint, consistently denied entry passes, and jumped passing lanes to generate steals, making life difficult for the big man throughout the night.</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2405260' first='Daniel' last='Odhiambo'] complemented that effort with strong help-side defense, playing straight up and consistently contesting shots around the rim. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Vernon Hills Exciting Guards</h2>   <p>As mentioned above, [player_tooltip player_id='1552448' first='Brady' last='Larsen'] was a joy to watch in this one. When he wasn't matched up in the post, he got into the grill of opposing ball-handlers, tipping passes and cutting off driving lanes. Offensively, he opened the game with a corner three that got the away fans buzzing, then did it again just before the end of the first quarter to cut the deficit to five. A strong combo guard, Larsen can knock down shots off the catch while also putting the ball on the floor and finishing at the rim.</p>   <p>Another 2026 point guard, <strong>Jeremy Zamost</strong>, competes with relentless energy and puts his body on the line every possession. An underrated guard in the area, he consistently leads the offense, makes the right reads off the drive, and shows touch on his floater. Defensively is where he really stood out — all-out hustle, a low and quick stance, strong instincts in the passing lanes, and a knack for beating opponents to loose balls.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Libertyville's X-Factors</h2>   <p>The first was 2026 <strong>Trevor Wallace</strong>, who showed the confidence to let it fly from deep, connecting on five triples to finish the night with 15 points. Three of those came in the first quarter and the other two in the fourth. His final make was a true heat-check moment, pulling up off the dribble straight on with a clean release. Beyond the scoring, Wallace displayed senior leadership by sharing the ball, coming off screens and reading his defender, stepping in to take a charge, and helping open up the offense.</p>   <p>The other X-factor was 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2834513' first='Nick' last='Baker']. He delivered an impressive and-1 finish in the third quarter after hanging in the air to scoop the shot home, but it was the fourth quarter where he really made his mark. Baker opened the frame with a steal and finger-roll finish, followed up a missed shot for a putback, and later showed strong vision by zipping a pass to Wegrzyn off a late read on a screen. His playmaking in the final frame helped break the game open and led to Libertyville's expanded scoring margin down the stretch.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Play of the Game </h2>   <p>Came in the third quarter, when Vernon Hills 2026 point guard <strong>Jeremy Zamost </strong>attacked from the left wing, hung in the air, and at the last second delivered a dime to [player_tooltip player_id='2405260' first='Daniel' last='Odhiambo'] in the middle of the paint for a two-handed flush.</p>   <p></p>

What a matchup we had last night at Libertyville High, as the Wildcats (5-3) defeated the Cougars from Vernon Hills (7-2), 58–43. Despite being a non-conference matchup between two Lake County programs, the energy in the building made it feel like a head-to-head conference showdown. The final score doesn't do justice to how competitive this game was through the first three quarters, before Libertyville eventually created separation in the fourth. Now, let's dive into some key headlines from the night and recognize prospects from both teams.