Libertyville’s Kaj Sorensen was ready for another shot at Warren. He finished their last meeting in the hospital.

This trip to Gurnee to play Warren had a decidedly more pleasant conclusion for Libertyville’s Kaj Sorensen.

The senior guard’s last visit ended with the Wildcats’ only North Suburban Conference loss — and four staples in his head after a first-quarter collision with teammate Jack Huber.

“I was in the trainer’s room, and we were asking if they could just glue it, but they said that wouldn’t work,” Sorensen said of his unsuccessful plea to return to action during that game on Jan. 20. “I thought I could have kept playing. So when I saw that they (the Blue Devils) won (Wednesday) against Mundelein, I had that in my mind.”

After settling for a livestream of the remainder of that loss from the hospital, Sorensen was a very active presence from the get-go in the Class 4A Warren Regional championship game on Friday.

He not only emerged unscathed but also scored a team-high 16 points as top-seeded Libertyville won 67-55.

Sorensen’s point total was the second-highest of his career, and half came in the opening quarter as Libertyville (27-5) opened a 17-10 lead against the eighth-seeded Blue Devils (18-15). He also had three of the team’s five 3-pointers.

That level of scoring may have exceeded Sorensen’s usual level of production, but no one on the Wildcats’ bench was surprised or had any trepidation about him taking open shots.

“He does a good job of getting to the open spot and complements the team so well,” Libertyville coach Brian Zyrkowski said. “I know he wanted to have a good, solid game back here. He did such a good job of just keeping us in the flow, and he had to have a good night tonight. The kid gives his all.”

Many of Sorensen’s open looks came because Warren focused much of its perimeter defense on senior guards Huber and Will Buchert, and the Wildcats’ fast start was especially important in establishing a different narrative after their 50-45 loss last month.

“We’re a tough team to beat because everyone on the floor can score,” Sorensen said. “Defenses worry about what the others can do, and that leaves me open sometimes, and I can knock down shots.”

In addition to Sorensen’s strong showing, the usual suspects produced for Libertyville, which will play fifth-seeded Barrington (21-4) in a Barrington Sectional semifinal on Tuesday. Huber and Buchert each scored 14 points, and senior forward Aidyn Boone had 11.

The Wildcats also flexed their collective muscle in the paint, finishing with a decisive 28-17 edge on the boards.

Senior forward Cole Bonder’s eight rebounds led in that category, which is precisely the type of dirty work he relishes, as exhibited by the long post-game scratch on the back of one of his arms.

“I’ll score some easy ones around the rim, but I’m in there to take charges, be the first one on the floor and try to grab every single rebound,” Bonder said. “Rebounding has been our No. 1 priority since day one, and everyone steps up and does it.”

That didn’t go unnoticed by Warren, whose interior tandem of senior Adam Panek and junior Alex Daniels are used to controlling the paint. But that wasn’t the case in the rubber match with Libertyville.

“Their physicality was a big thing tonight,” Daniels said. “They all just crash really hard. We have a lot of depth, and that usually helps. Last game was one of our most physical games, but tonight was just tough.”

Sorensen did his part.

“We know what Kaj is capable of, and he’s been awesome,” Buchert said. “They were really pressuring Jack and me, and they were basically daring Kaj to beat them, and he did.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.