Boys basketball: Willowbrook falls short at Morton

Morton junior guard Angelo Lazo started Tuesday’s game on a hot streak.

Junior guard Jeramyah Tucker saved the majority of his scoring for the final two quarters, while sophomore guard Josiah Stokes picked the fourth quarter to make his statement.

In all, the Mustangs – especially their guards – spread out their scoring against Willowbrook in a West Suburban Gold Division game.

Tucker canned three 3-pointers and scored 13 of his team-high 16 points in the second half, and Lazo scored 11 of his 15 points in the first quarter to power Morton to a 55-38 win over Willowbrook at Morton East High School.

Lazo, a second-year varsity player, scored 11 of Morton’s 14 first-quarter points, ending his flurry with a putback basket with just over a minute left in the quarter. His torrid shooting set the pace for the home team.

“I played with confidence and let the ball fly, just shooting,” Lazo said. “I like to attack the basket, because usually the defense collapses and lets my teammates get open, like tonight.

“We can run and get the ball and can go. We like to play fast.”

Tucker carried Morton (12-9, 3-5) in the second half, connecting on two 3s from the corner in the third quarter to help his team pull away. Tucker, a first-year varsity player, gave Morton the two-possession cushion with a 3-pointer from the corner off a loose ball for a 32-27 advantage. He drilled another 3-pointer in the fourth to extend the lead to 51-37 off a pass from Stokes.

Meanwhile, Stokes sparked his team off the bench by scoring all eight of his points in the fourth, including a highlight-reel steal at half court and racing to the basket for a layup.

“I didn’t have a good first half, but I kept shooting and had confidence in my shot,” Tucker said. “My shots went in, especially in the second half. Our game plan was to play hard and fast. We knew they would be tired.”

From the opening tip, Willowbrook (9-13, 2-4) came out flat and missed several shots, and also struggled grabbing rebounds and loose balls. After playing two games Monday, including one into overtime, Willowbrook scored just seven points in the third quarter and hit the wall in the fourth.

Senior guard Otis Powell led Willowbrook with 11 points, including burying a pair of 3s in the first quarter.

“This one was tricky, because of our schedule after playing two games yesterday,” Willowbrook coach Chris Perkins said. “Our second game went to overtime. We knew we would be little exhausted. I felt like our shots were a little flat and we missed a lot of bunnies today, but credit to Morton. They did a good job moving the ball and extending us out. They have a good team and can shoot.”

Despite relying on a deep group of guards, Morton overcame its lack of size and bulk by moving the ball and running in transition to take advantage of Willowbrook’s weary legs.

“Lazo got us off to a good start, especially since we usually don’t get off to good starts,” Morton coach Tony Martinucci said. “He played great all around. I thought Jamari Watkins played great with six rebounds, and he battled inside.

“Everyone did their jobs. It was a good job by the players.”