Boys basketball: Larkin earns bragging rights over Elgin

Larkin answered every Elgin run, including the last one.

When Elgin cut a 12-point Larkin lead to 3 early in the fourth quarter, a Jahvion Sowers 3-pointer ignited a run that stretched the margin back to 49-40.

When the Maroons scored 4 in a row to get within 5, the Royals calmly put the game away at the free-throw line. Jayden Bailey and Sowers combined for 7 free throws down the stretch to secure a 56-48 Upstate Eight victory and crosstown bragging rights.

Sowers’ 13 points led a balanced attack for the Royals (8-14). Kamryn Bartee and Lawrence Sallis added 11 and 10, respectively. Mac Irvin contributed 9 points along with 9 rebounds, and Bailey finished with 8 off the bench.

Coreyon Johnson (19 points) and Ryan Varghese (18) led the way for Elgin at Chesbrough Field House.

Elgin’s biggest lead was 3 points following back-to-back 3-pointers by Johnson and Jacob Rufino.

Although Elgin didn’t spend much time with the lead, the Maroons never lost contact with the visitors in a game that featured several wild sequences with bodies on the floor, double fouls and technicals and a combined 43 free throws.

Larkin coach Anton Wilkins credited his seniors for keeping the Royals poised in the often frenetic closing minutes.

“A lot of our seniors have been in this situation, and that definitely helped us out a lot,” Wilkins said. “Sallis got some big buckets down the stretch, same thing with Mac Irvin. So we had a lot of senior leadership.”

Irvin also crashed the boards, pulling in some big rebounds, with 6-foot-3 junior guard Jaevon Ligon helping out to the tune of 7 boards.

The game’s back-and-forth nature was established early. The Royals jumped out to a 7-0 lead only to watch the Maroons tie it at 7-7 by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter witnessed 8 lead changes, with the Royals grabbing a 23-22 halftime lead on Irvin’s 3-pointer.

Larkin opened the second half with a 13-2 run, opening a 12-point lead on a pair of Bartee free throws.

Elgin played with high intensity but couldn’t always translate its energy into points. Part of the problem was that the Maroons shot just 36 % from the field and made only 10 of 22 free throws, including 3 of 10 in the fourth quarter.