Basketball Recap: Michael Zaleski's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Normal West over Harlem

Normal West was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their eighth straight loss. They came up short against the Harlem Huskies, falling 53-31.

Several Wildcats players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Michael Zaleski, who posted nine points. Another player making a difference was K'Shaun Jones, who put up four points.

Wildcats

Offensive Rebounds

12/27/24 vs Harlem	14
01/26/24 vs Peoria Notre Dame	14
01/20/24 vs Pontiac	11
02/13/24 @ Bloomington	11
01/09/24 vs Champaign Central	11

Even though they lost, Normal West smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive boards they've posted since back in January.

Harlem's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mateo Perera, who went 5 of 11 on his way to 11 points in addition to five boards and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Julius Roundtree, who had 11 points.

Normal West's defeat dropped their record down to 2-10. As for Harlem, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games, which provided a nice bump to their 5-6 record this season.

Normal West wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next match, a 57-50 win against Prosser on the 28th. As for Harlem, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 47-23 loss against Wheaton-Warrenville South on the 28th.