Timothy Christian keeps momentum going
Playing its best basketball of the season, Timothy Christian entered Friday night having won five of its past six games.
The Trojans then went out and kept the good times rolling against a much improved Fenton team, posting a 54-42 victory in the Metro Suburban Red matchup in Elmhurst.
"I feel like our confidence has really grown throughout the year," said sophomore guard Josh Harris, who scored a team-high 19 points. "We are playing more together, and if we keep playing like this, we feel like we can beat anybody."
Timothy Christian seized control in the third quarter, outscoring the Bison 16-7 in the period to expand on a 28-26 halftime lead. Harris had 8 points during the spurt, including a 3-pointer in the closing seconds, one of four he nailed from beyond the arc in the contest.
The visitors got to within 6 with 4:30 left on a 3-pointer by Marcus Rule but Matt Owens scored 6 of his 13 points in the final few minutes to keep the home team in front.
Diamon King scored 19 points to lead Fenton (8-14, 3-5), including 13 in the opening half. Andre Reed hit a trio of 3s and scored 13. Chris Bozeman tallied 9 rebounds, seven on the offensive end.
"They are playing hard," said Fenton coach Chaz Taft, whose team has lost six games by two points or less. "The ball just hasn't bounced our way but I'm proud of the guys, they bust their butt for me.
"I thought Timothy Christian turned up their defense (in the second half), especially their post defense and around the rim."
Danardo Jones and A.J. Vos had 8 points apiece for the Trojans (14-8, 5-2), who will play Wheaton Academy on Tuesday with first place in the league on the line. Timothy Christian handed the Warriors their lone loss earlier in the winter.
"It really comes down to our energy on the defensive side," Timothy Christian coach Scott Plaisier said about his team's strong play since Christmas. "We are way more consistent there. We are getting consistent stops and on the offensive side, we are playing with a lot more confidence.
"But give Fenton a ton of credit for the way they battle every single night. It can be deflating when you have lost that many close games, but they play with so much energy. They've got things going in the right direction for sure."