Another Batavia blowout

Following Tuesday night's 83-42 victory over DeKalb, Batavia's basketball team is now 2-0 in the early part of the Western Sun Conference schedule with an average victory margin of 33.5 points.

Given that is the same DeKalb team that beat Kaneland, and the Knights defeated Glenbard South, and Glenbard South beat Geneva, and the Vikings destroyed Yorkville, who in the Western Sun Conference is going step up and give Batavia a challenge this winter?

It leaves Sycamore, who the Bulldogs will face Dec. 21 a day before making up their canceled trip to Quincy.

But the way Batavia (5-0, 2-0) looked Tuesday, shooting 67 percent from the field through three quarters while holding DeKalb (2-4, 1-1) to 29 percent shooting, fans might have to find new ways to entertain themselves at Bulldog games this winter besides hoping to see a game on the line in the final minute.

And there could be a few, as Tuesday proved.

• Watching how fast the opposing coach goes through his timeouts to slow Batavia's momentum racing up and down the court. DeKalb's David Rohlman took his first with 3:29 left in the first quarter after Phil Albrecht gave Batavia a 12-7 lead.

• Watching that same opposing coach shake his head in frustration when he realizes his team has no way of stopping Nick Fruendt, David Bryant and company. That came midway through the second quarter after Fruendt and Bryant combined for Batavia's first 13 points of the quarter.

• Seeing how fast Batavia can hit milestones like the following…

Ten-point lead: First basket of the second quarter, Fruendt scores on a pretty feed from Bryant, 22-12 Batavia.

Twenty-point lead: A little later in the second quarter, Ben Potter completes a three-point play to put the Bulldogs up 36-14.

Thirty-point lead: Bryant drains a 3-pointer early in the third quarter and it's 49-19.

Starters come out: Fruendt is the first one to the bench with over four minutes still left in the third quarter, and the others soon follow.

Forty-point lead: Jordan Church scores inside on yet another good look, this one from Peter West, and it's 66-25.

It might not make for last-second drama, but it could add up to another Western Sun Conference title.

"You can't do much about it," junior David Bryant said of the lopsided outcomes that also includes three wins in the Ken Peddy Classic by 18.3 points a game.

"Our conference is always going to come out tough. One night is tough, maybe not another night. We just have to be ready to come out. We just came out ready to play. We knew DeKalb gave us a couple good games last year."

Bryant tied Jordan Smith for scoring honors with 16 points, one more than Fruendt's 15. Thirteen of Batavia's 14 players scored, and the one who didn't -- Jordan Coffey -- assisted on three straight baskets during the third quarter.

Those players are used to the spotlight, but the Batavia bench who doesn't always get in the game isn't. That group scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, led by Jim White with 6 points, West's 5 points, Alex Berg with 4 and Jay Douglas and Evan Olexa both added a basket.

"The ball movement continued to be excellent," Batavia coach Jim Roberts said. "All those guys moved the ball well."

Six-foot-10 sophomore Jordan Threloff led DeKalb with 10 points, but Batavia didn't let him touch the ball that often thanks to a 1-2-2 three-quarters trap that led to 15 steals.

"I thought our ball press worked really well and forced some turnovers," Bryant said. "That gave us a lift in the second quarter."