Huntley makes easy work of Prairie Ridge
Huntley's boys basketball team didn't need Marty Manning Friday night.
The Red Raiders' head coach missed his team's game with Prairie Ridge to be with his wife, who gave birth to the couple's newest son, Marcus Manning.
On the court, the Red Raiders didn't miss a beat, outscoring the Wolves 20-4 in the third quarter on the way to a 63-29 win in Fox Valley Conference Valley Division action in Huntley.
Troy Miller hit 4 3-pointers and finished with 16 points, while Amanze Egekeze had 15 points and 5 rebounds for Huntley.
Leading 26-16 at halftime, the Red Raiders (13-1, 3-0) broke the game open after intermission. They roared out of the locker room with 6 straight points. After a Prairie Ridge basket, Miller nailed back-to-back 3-pointers. Jake Brock came up with a steal and fed Miller for a transition layup and a 40-18 lead.
The Wolves packed in their zone and were able to slow the Raiders for short stretches, especially late in the first half when the visitors closed the half on an 8-2 run.
"We were a bit stagnant offensively," said Huntley assistant Ryan Starnes. "We weren't getting a lot of movement. So we made some adjustments and cut some guys through, and attacked the seams a little better in the second half, and that made the difference."
The Red Raiders had their coach on their minds.
"He wasn't there at practice (Thursday) and we didn't know if he was going to be here tonight, so it did kind of motivate us a little bit, wanting to get this one for him.," said Egekeze. "Despite him not being here, the assistant coaches made great adjustments to their zone and we were able to get open looks that we wouldn't have gotten. They made really great adjustments."
Huntley's stifling defense frustrated the Wolves all night, causing 29 turnovers. Although the Wolves shot a respectable 39 percent, they attempted just 23 shots.
Sean Valentine led Prairie Ridge with 10 points, and Shane Evans had 5 points and 5 rebounds for the Wolves.
Bryce Only added 7 points for Huntley, while fan favorite Mason Wicks also scored 7 off the bench.