St. Charles North downs Elgin to snap skid
St. Charles North boys basketball coach Tom Poulin saw some things he hadn't seen earlier in the season during Friday night's game against Elgin.
He also saw his team record a much-needed win.
Senior guard Mikey Schroeder led 4 players in double figures with 19 points to help lift the North Stars (4-13, 2-7) to a 72-66 Upstate Eight Conference River Division victory over the Maroons (15-8, 4-5) in St. Charles.
"It took everybody doing the right things consistently," said Poulin, whose team snapped a 6-game losing streak. "There wasn't that three- to six-minute stretch in this game where we made multiple mistakes or where our effort lacked."
The effort included a sprawled-out-on-the-floor steal by senior guard Jarod Karom (10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) late in the third quarter that eventually led to a 3-point basket by Schroeder that extended the North Stars' lead to 45-40.
"It generated some energy for us," Poulin said of Karom's hustle play. "I'm really proud of Jarod. He made plays in some big moments that help you win a basketball game."
After the Maroons grabbed a 50-48 on a 3-pointer by junior guard Reggie Cole (game-high 28 points, 4 steals) early in the fourth quarter, the North Stars enjoyed a 12-2 run at a crucial time to go on top, 60-52, with 4:15 remaining.
The surge included a pair of 3-pointers by Schroeder and 3 inside baskets by junior forward Griffin Hammer (14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocked shots) against the Maroons' 1-3-1 zone defense.
"We hadn't seen a 1-3-1 since Pontiac (tournament) and we saw it just a little bit there," said Poulin. "They had gaps for us to attack. It opened up shooters and we shot well (27 of 52)."
Three straight points by sophomore forward Kyle King enabled the North Stars to stretch their lead to 67-60 with 1:09 remaining.
Armon Osborne added 16 points and 4 steals as the North Stars recorded a season-high point total.
"I thought Armon stepped up big tonight," said Poulin, whose team fell behind 8-0 at the outset before taking a 22-19 lead after one quarter. "Tonight, it was all about winning. We were passing up good shots for great shots."
"We haven't scored more than 50 points in probably five or six games," said Schroeder. "It feels pretty good right now to be honest getting our first win in about a month."
Lavion Baldwin and Desmond Douglas added 15 and 14 points, respectively, for Elgin.
"We don't guard anybody," said Maroons coach Mike Sitter. "We can score at any time but we have to make a concerted effort at the defensive end. We do that in spurts but we don't do it for four quarters."