Boys basketball: Valente, Batavia dash past St. Charles North

The Batavia boys basketball succumbed to an early shooting slump against St. Charles North on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs, who handily defeated the North Stars on their home court back on Dec. 6, opened the second matchup of the season between the DuKane Conference rivals by missing two of their first 10 shots in an eventual 69-38 win.

Then, in a three-possession run, the Bulldogs were back on the right track thanks to a scoring surge by CJ Valente.

A standout tight end/wide receiver with multiple football offers, the 6-foot-6 Valente is making waves in his main sport.

Or is basketball his main sport now?

Valente broke open a rugged game by scoring nine consecutive points, including on three straight possessions, to spark the Bulldogs over the North Stars.

Valente and Jax Abalos put on a dueling show for the Bulldogs, with Valente pouring in a game-high 18 points and Abalos adding 16 points. Abalos drilled four 3-pointers, while Valente canned a pair of 3s.

“I feel like I played loose, wasn’t nervous shooting the ball, especially with my teammates getting open and they were getting me shots,” Valente said. “They were knocking down shots, getting assists just built up my confidence as well.”

The Bulldogs (15-6, 9-2) rolled over the North Stars following a rough opening five minutes, mainly due to Valente and Abalos both drilling shots.

Valente displayed his improved court skills in the first quarter, swishing a 3-pointer, then adding a steal and a layup and ending his three-possession swing with a putback back off a blocked shot. Thirty-five seconds later, Valente capped his scoring surge with a lay-in to increase Batavia’s lead to 18-8 with 1:22 left in the opening quarter.

The North Stars will certainly be glad not to see No. 40 sprinting up and down the court and banging the boards, not after Valente scored a game-high 17 points to go with 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists in the first meeting.

In the football season Valente also had a big game against the North Stars. He caught a 63-yard touchdown early in the first quarter in Batavia’s blowout win at St. Charles North.

“The first time we played them (in basketball) gave me confidence,” Valente said. “There’s something about them that gives me confidence.”

Valente nearly matched his previous total in the first half, scoring 13 points to give the Bulldogs a commanding 42-18 lead at halftime.

Batavia coach Jim Nazos has watched Valente develop his game through the years, witnessing his growth each year due to Valente playing with Nazos’ son, Nate.

“He’s somebody I’ve been coaching since second grade,” Jim Nazos said. “Eight years ago, he’s out there shooting the ball. He’s in the gym early shooting. He’s a good football player and loves to play football. He loves basketball, too. People are talking to him about football and basketball. He has to figure that out. He’s built up to this type of game. His best is ahead of him, whatever sport. He’s come for us lately, so its’ good to see him do this.”

After averaging 7.3 points and 4.0 rebounds last season, Valente opened up his senior season with a bang. He caught 28 passes for 564 yards and eight touchdowns this fall to earn attention from several schools, including Butler and Valpo.

Valente said his success in football and basketball should open up some doors for him in his college selection. His potential, especially when he adds more muscle, should be enticing for football and basketball programs.

“I’ve grown up basketball first, basketball first and then this year I kind of had a breakout season in football, so it kind of feels both are (equal),” Valente said. “I’m still figuring out college. I’m trying to find a place, but I’m putting education first. I want to make sure I’m set at a place after I graduate. I feel with college that I don’t really have a bad option. I just have to figure out what’s best for me, where I feel wanted and plus which place will give me the best education.”

Late in the third quarter, Valente closed out his prolific scoring night with another run of points. He handed out an assist on a 3-pointer by Abalos. A possession later, Abalos returned the favor by feeding Valente for a wide-open trey before Valente came back the next time down the court with a baseline floater to cap his memorable performance.

“We all were doing whatever we could to help us get the win, hitting shots and getting to the rim,” Valente said.

The North Stars (7-15, 1-8) came out aggressive in their second meeting against the Bulldogs after suffering a 59-45 defeat on Dec. 6. St. Charles North’s Luke Holtz’s 3-pointer opened the scoring but fell apart once Valente went on his scoring run.

“We just didn’t play intense or hard enough,” St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin said. “We didn’t execute. We play well in spurts, but we’re still working and trying to get consistent with the right way to play the game.”