Williams strikes for 27, Elgin rolls to win

Elgin senior guard Amari Williams knows the value of finding his offensive rhythm early in a game.

Williams found his stroke right off the bat for the Maroons Thursday night in Roselle, leading Elgin past Lake Park for a 67-57 Upstate Eight Conference boys basketball victory.

The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Williams scored 11 points in the first quarter and 16 for the first half, sinking four 3-pointers that stretched out the Lake Park defense.

For the game Williams notched a season-high 27 points.

"(I was) just staying in rhythm and staying focused in the game," Williams said. "If it happens, it happens."

Elgin (5-1, 2-0) felt comfortable in its ability to fill up the stat sheet on the offensive side of the ball. The Maroons' defense, though, is what concerned first-year coach Michael Sitter.

Elgin surrendered 33 first-half points -- a number that Sitter knew his defense could improve upon in the second half. Sure enough, the Maroons ripped off an 11-0 run, fueled by an overall heightened intensity on defense.

"We're going to score points all season long," Sitter said. "If we decide to play defense we'll win games, if we don't play defense, we won't win games.

"The players took it among themselves just to pick up the intensity. We were the best athletes on the court; we just needed to show that."

Lake Park coach Cray Allen knew that Elgin would pick up its defense in the second half, with the Maroons finally seeing game action for the first time in nearly two weeks.

"I told our coach that I knew they'd come out in the second half after getting one half of basketball underneath their belts," Allen said. "They came out with a lot of pressure. As fast as they get it down the floor, and as poorly as we shoot the ball sometimes, all it takes is a couple misses on our end, a couple quick passes and 3-balls on their end, and a 2-point lead is now 8, 11, 14 (points)."

The Lancers (2-7, 0-3) crept within 5 points with 4 minutes remaining in the game, as junior Jason Sotira came off the bench and nailed back-to-back 3-pointers.

Elgin countered with its own strength off the pine, though, with junior Tom Roth sinking a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to push the Maroons lead back to double digits.

"Tommy's a natural leader," Sitter said. "He doesn't start for us, but he's always on the floor at the end of the game.

"It gives us a second point guard."