McCarron, Cary-Grove down Jacobs
Chad McCarron would prefer not to ever come off the bench again.
The Cary-Grove senior forward, who missed Tuesday's game with Huntley with a sprained ankle, entered Friday's Fox Valley Conference Valley Division game against Jacobs with 4:14 left in the first quarter and proceeded to score 18 points with 10 rebounds and 2 assists in helping lead the Trojans to a 57-44 boys basketball win over the Golden Eagles in Cary.
"The ankle feels a lot better," said McCarron, who will play football at Division III national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater next season. "Once I got in the game I forgot I was even hurt. I didn't feel any pain. I don't like coming off the bench. I was getting anxious sitting because I want the ball in my hands and I want to help our team win. "
Cary-Grove coach Ralph Schueltze praised McCarron's efforts.
"We wanted Chad to watch from the bench a little," said Schueltze. "His ankle is fine. He came in and gave us a huge spark. We know he can give us 20 points in any game. It is great to have him back."
Cary-Grove (10-10, 4-1), which led 24-17 at halftime, turned the game into a rout in the third quarter.
Holding a tenuous 31-27 lead with 4:46 left in the third quarter, Cary-Grove seized control of the game going on a 13-1 run. Nick Richter scored 6 points including a 3-pointer, Matt Jones scored 5 points with a 3 and McCarron had a putback as the Trojans turned a 4-point lead into a 16-point 44-28 advantage with 42 seconds left in the third quarter.
The closest the Golden Eagles (3-15, 0-4) got was 10, 52-42, with 1:55 left in the game on a 10-footer by Brandon Richman.
Richter paced the Trojans with 19 points to go along with 8 assists and 3 steals.
"I am getting more confidence in my shot every game," said Richter. "I feel I can get good shots in our offense. It was nice to have Chad back because he is such a great competitor."
Jones added 10 for the Trojans which included a pair of 3-pointers.
Mike Peterson and Matt Schmidt led Jacobs with 10 points each.
"You have to hold serve and win at home to win the conference," said Schueltze. "This was a big win for us."