Jacobs overcomes McHenry

While the tests keep mounting for the Jacobs boys basketball team, the Golden Eagles are showing they can answer just about anything you throw at them.

Last week it was depth. Tuesday it was all mental and in its 53-38 Fox Valley Conference Valley Division win over McHenry at the Eagles Nest in Algonquin, Jacobs (16-5, 6-0) not only shook off the rust of 6 days in between games, but the lack of practice time due to Monday's weather cancellations and a second go-round with the Warriors (4-19, 1-5), whom Jacobs defeated on January 6 by 18 points in McHenry.

"To be honest, it was the kind of the game you unfortunately kind of expect," Golden Eagles' coach Jimmy Roberts said. "It's good to have kids who have experience and can overcome those things but (we were) not real crisp, not real sharp. But I thought they did a good job, they always play real hard."

Chrishawn Orange led Jacobs with 23 points, including 16 in the first half that helped outscore the Warriors 28-15 by halftime. Kenton Mack had 10 points to go with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.

But Mack's observation of the win had a wake up call feel to it even if it signified Jacobs' eighth straight win since it reminded the team of what could've been if the performance was played on a grander stage in just a few weeks.

"If we played the way we did (Tuesday) against the tough regional we are in, we probably would have taken a loss," the Northern Michigan-bound guard said. "And that's why even when we're playing against our opponents, we're playing against ourselves. And we get better each time we go out there, no matter what. We have to play to get better because the playoffs are what matter and down the stretch is what matters."

Jacobs didn't appear to suffer from the lack of practice time at first as Orange helped the Eagles shoot 6 of 9 from the field in a 19-10 first quarter after McHenry doubled down on Cameron Krutwig on the block.

"When they double up in the post Cam is going to kick out to the shooters and he found me a couple times," Orange said. "He had great passes and I did what I had to do."

But the Golden Eagles looked sluggish thereafter, finishing with a 19-for-47 clip from the field, which was why in the third quarter they attacked the Warriors inside for 12 points in the paint on good interior passing. A 13-point lead at the half turned into 19 at the end of the third as Krutwig scored 4 of his 7 points at the cup and both Mack and Orange completed 3-point plays each to get a 17-10 edge.

"I think that's something that comes with experience," Mack said of Jacobs' ability to attack the paint. "I don't think we get flustered a lot and we were just under control and made the right plays and took what they gave us."

On the brighter side McHenry, led by Corey Lersch's 13 points, was held to a 36.3 shooting percentage and was helped into 12 turnovers. For the fourth-straight game the Eagles held their opponents under 40 points (a 38.2 average) and Jacobs has soundly defeated its last eight opponents by an average margin of 20.1 points.

"It was not the best performance on defense or offense," said Orange, who had 5 rebounds."But we did our job and got the win. Just get stops and execute; get stops and get shots, that's the motto."