South Elgin keeps Waubonsie shooters out in the cold

So far first-quarter inconsistency has yet to bite South Elgin's boys basketball team.

Coach Chaz Taft and the rest of the Storm know they can't tempt fate forever.

As has been the case several times already this season, South Elgin jumped out to a sizable first-quarter lead Friday night against Waubonsie Valley before calming down, getting complacent and letting the Warriors back into the game.

However, as has also been the case several times this season, the Storm regained its focus and walked off the court as a winner. Friday night proved no exception, as South Elgin scored the game's first 9 points, eventually dispatching the Warriors 52-41 in Aurora.

"Every time that happens to us - they kind of get back into it," Taft said. "I'm hoping that doesn't happen."

South Elgin (6-1, 2-0 Upstate Eight Conference) could have buried Waubonsie Valley in the first quarter - Warriors coach Steve Weemer pulled all five starters after the initial 9-0 run - but settled for a 11-4 lead heading into the second period.

The Storm held a 22-16 advantage at halftime due in no small part to its familiar hard-nosed defense. South Elgin stymied Waubonsie Valley's shooters into a 7 of 25 performance in the first half.

"I was happy with the defensive effort to keep them down below 50 (points), especially with a team that pounds it inside so much as they did," Taft said. "We knew they were going to run the high-post offense and everything like that, but just the kids going out there and executing like that, I was really happy with it."

While Waubonsie Valley (1-7, 0-2) did occasionally look to its front line, the Warriors failed to exploit their height advantage as much as Weemer hoped.

"That was on our board at the start of the game. We've got to get inside and be tough with it inside," Weemer said. "We took outside shots to start the game, and you can't do that.

"They got layups, and we took four or five perimeter shots that were not good shots, and that's how you get down 9-0."

South Elgin guard Tommy Childs led all scorers with 21 points, including a 9-point third quarter that helped keep the Warriors at bay.

As a senior leader, though, Childs knows he must continue to push his teammates.

"We kind of calmed down again. We can't do that," he said. "We've got to learn how to finish a team off."