West Aurora tops Larkin for 6th straight win
The two Fox Valley reigning Class 4A boys basketball sectional-champion teams met in an Upstate Eight Conference game for the first time in almost 22 years Tuesday night in Aurora.
The Larkin inexperience was exposed by West Aurora in the opening half as the latter used its superior athleticism to extend possessions on a routine basis.
West Aurora raced to a double-digit lead at the intermission against the youthful Royals, only to see Larkin battle admirably in the second half.
But the first-half deficit was too much to overcome for Larkin as the Blackhawks won their sixth consecutive game overall and eighth in a row in league play with a 67-57 victory in Aurora.
West Aurora backcourt mates Traevon Brown and Marquise Walker scored 17 points apiece, and fellow senior Hezzy Salter illuminated the disparity on the offensive glass by adding 16 for the Blackhawks (15-3, 8-0).
"We came out more prepared than we have," said Brown, who scored 8 of the Blackhawks' 24 first-quarter points. "We have been more locked in as a team, trying to get that win streak up there."
Just like its home game against Streamwood on Friday night, West Aurora had a near monopoly in rebounding.
"I think it was 23-3 at one point in the first half," West Aurora coach Brian Johnson said of Blackhawks' prowess on the glass behind the undersized but supremely gifted frontcourt of Salter, Moshe Rogers and Kelvin Balfour.
West Aurora finished with a 41-19 rebounding edge.
"They just killed," Larkin coach Daryn Carter said of the Blackhawks' ability to not only score second-chance points but also retrieve loose balls in traffic. "We told the kids at half that West Aurora is as good as we thought they were."
Larkin was only able to remain competitive - the Royals were down at the intermission - by burying seven 3-pointers in the opening two quarters.
West Aurora had its season come to close last year at the hands of Belleville West at the Illinois State University supersectional; Larkin (7-12, 4-4) was victimized by the eventual state champion in the state semifinals.
But the Royals played commendable basketball in the second half, cutting their deficit to single digits on several occasions in the third and fourth quarters.
Larkin freshman Demari Wheeler-Thomas led all players with 22 points.
The Royals' five starters accounted for all of the team points as Jashon Johnson-Neals and Victor Perez combined for five 3-pointers in finishing with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
"I work hard on my game in the gym," Wheeler-Thomas said.
"There were some signs of encouragement," Carter said.