Starks shoots West Aurora over Glenbard N.
So much for a bum ankle.
West Aurora four-year starter Juwan Starks incurred an ankle injury midway through the third quarter of the Blackhawks’ blowout win over Naperville Central on Tuesday.
But after Starks’ eye-popping game in the Blackhawks’ showdown with Glenbard North on Friday in Aurora, his missed practice on Wednesday was ancient news.
Starks poured in 28 of his game-high 30 points in the opening three quarters, draining five 3-pointers in the process as West Aurora denied the Panthers 63-54 in a DuPage Valley Conference boys basketball game.
“He is one heck of a ballplayer,” Glenbard North coach Joe Larson said of Starks, who is moving ever so quickly in supplanting Billy Taylor as the most prolific scorer in program history. “He is a complete player. Juwan has been a very good conference player ever since his freshman year.”
Starks scored 10 points in the opening quarter, and West Aurora (17-3, 8-1) raced to an early 22-7 lead.
“(The right ankle) felt really good,” said Starks, who finished 14-for-20 from the field. “Coach (Gordie Kerkman) told me not to worry about how much I score. We’re doing whatever it takes in exceeding our goals.”
But Glenbard North (11-7, 8-2) did not let the pageantry of the Blackhawks’ senior night — which included Chicago Blackhawks national anthem singer Jim Cornelius delivering a rousing edition — undermine its efforts.
Starks’ 3 consecutive field goals were the Blackhawks’ only tallies from the field in the second quarter, and the Panthers reduced their deficit to 31-25 entering halftime.
Josh Fleming, who had 15 points to lead Glenbard North, and Justin Jackson combined for the first 8 points of the third quarter to give the Panthers their final lead of the night.
“We knew we were going to get back into the game,” Larson said.
Starks’ second run of 3 straight field goals was augmented by a Jontrel Walker 3-pointer.
Jayquan Lee also hit a crucial 3-pointer for West Aurora, and Starks’ buzzer-beater from 24 feet gave the Blackhawks a 49-38 lead after three quarters.
Glenbard North would get no closer than 6 points in the fourth quarter as three different players — Starks, Booker Ross and Chandler Thomas — hounded Fleming into missing 19 of his 24 field-goal attempts.
“I don’t think (the win) puts us in the driver’s seat,” said Kerkman whose team is a half-game behind Naperville North. “There’s so much parity in our league.”
Walker finished with 11 points for West Aurora, while backcourt mate Lee had 5 fourth-quarter points to not only finish with eight but also thwart the Panthers’ comeback hopes.
Chabares Flanagan had 13 points for Glenbard North.