After accounting for just nine points in the first half, the 5' 8" guard (shown earlier in the season against Glenbrook North) emerged from the locker room after intermission to score 30 in the second half alone. Nix, the leading scorer in the Central Suburban Conference this year, was 8-for-8 from the field in the second half, including five three-pointers. He was also 9-for-9 from the free-throw line, including seven in the last two minutes. Wow!
Honestly, between Nix and Loyola's Jack Morrissey, who led the Ramblers with 23 points and six treys, I can't remember seeing so many three-pointers in one game!
The gym, as I expected, was packed. Loyola is known for its rabid fans, who were practically hanging from the rafters. (What are rafters, anyway? No matter.) In fact, when the freshly-shorn Rambler team took the court before the game the crowd went positively nuts. "What's with the crew cuts?" I shouted to the guy next to me over the din. "Playoffs," was his one-word response, as if that should make it all clear. (All the buzz cuts did for me was make it harder to tell one player from another. Oh, well, you know what they say: All Irish kids look alike.)
What I didn't expect to see last night was so many Niles North fans. (The Niles West - Glenbrook North game on Thursday night was a ghost town in comparison.) While Catholic institutions seem to naturally inspire school spirit, public school sports are often met with indifference. "We have a team in the playoffs? That's nice; which sport?" I guess the moral of the story is, if you have an exceptional team people will come out to watch.
The Vikings will now go on to play No. 1 seed Maine South at Glenbrook North on Tuesday night. Can Niles North upset the Hawks? I've seen both teams play now, and if the same Malachi Nix shows up next week it could be a long night for the Park Ridge squad.
Meanwhile, No. 2 Notre Dame will play No. 3 New Trier the following night in Northbrook. I've seen the Dons twice and the Trevians once; Notre Dame should prevail.
He went
8-for-8 from the field in the second half, including five 3-pointers,
and 9-for-9 from the free-throw line, including seven in the last two
minutes. - See more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/ct-spt-0302-prep-bkb-loyola-regional-final-20130301,0,2985552.story#sthash.i4kVgXbJ.dp
He went
8-for-8 from the field in the second half, including five 3-pointers,
and 9-for-9 from the free-throw line, including seven in the last two
minutes. - See more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/ct-spt-0302-prep-bkb-loyola-regional-final-20130301,0,2985552.story#sthash.i4kVgXbJ.dpu
Malachi
Nix scored 39 points, including 30 in the second half, for Niles North. -
See more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/cs-prep-scoreboard-030113,0,2458347.htmlstory#sthash.FnM4hrZq.dpuf
Malachi
Nix scored 39 points, including 30 in the second half, for Niles North. -
See more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/cs-prep-scoreboard-030113,0,2458347.htmlstory#sthash.FnM4hrZq.dpuf
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