Dec. 06--Simeon's experience and Young's youth did not make for a stirring Elite Classic headliner.
The No. 1 Wolverines scored 12 of the game's first 14 points and led comfortably for most of their 56-51 victory over No. 11 Young late Saturday night at the UIC Pavilion.
But Simeon provided more questions than answers heading into its early season showdown with No. 2 Morgan Park on Thursday.
"We've just got to get better," Simeon coach Robert Smith said. "We played some really good stretches and we played some really sloppy stretches, but it's game one and at this point you just want to come out with wins, these first seven or eight games."
Simeon (1-0) had the luxury of throwing a bunch of good basketball bodies at Young, but seniors Zack Norvell and Josh Thomas and junior point guard Evan Gilyard accounted for 45 of the Wolverines 56 points.
With a greener light than most Simeon players have ever been given, the Gonzaga-bound Norvell scored a game-high 19 points.
"It is real green," Smith said. "It might be lime green. But it's his team and we've got to get him the ball as much as possible. He took one or two shots that were questionable, but it's going to be that kind of year."
Young (0-1) made a game of it in the final 80 seconds. Sophomore point guard Xavier Castaneda led the Dolphins with 16 points, and his steal and layup with two seconds left brought them within five for the first time since early in the first quarter.
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
Player of the game: Zack Norvell, Simeon, 19 points, 8 rebounds.
Key performers: Simeon -- Josh Thomas, 14 points, 6 rebounds; Evan Gilyard, 12 points. Young -- Xavier Castaneda, 16 points.
