South Elgin downs Elgin, will face Larkin next
After a surprising run to the sectional finals last year South Elgin is again hoping to rekindle some of that postseason magic. On Monday night the Storm got off to a good start with a 69-53 win over Elgin in first round action at the Class 4A Bartlett boys basketball regional.
The Maroons led 29-24 midway through the third quarter but a 17-0 run propelled the Storm into the lead.
South Elgin had started the game the game with a 10-0 run.
"That's kind of been our M.O. this year," South Elgin coach Matt Petersen said. "Anytime we get a lead we tend to relax. Then it's not easy to get that fire back. So, tonight I was really happy with the way we responded when we got down. We were able amp up the intensity."
Justin Howard kick-started the 17-0 run with the second of his six 3-pointers on the night. Following an Elgin turnover Matt Smith tied the game at 29-29 for South Elgin with a pair of free throws.
Logan Atkins then gave the Storm the lead 31-29 with a transition layup. Anthony Lynch kept it going for the Storm and capped the run with a pair of 3-point plays to make it 41-29.
Howard put the game out of reach with a pair of 3-pointers at the end of the third quarter and two more at the start of the fourth to extend the margin to 56-36.
Howard was 6 of 10 from the arc after being blanked in the regular-season finale against Bartlett.
"I had been in a slump the last few games." Howard said. "But you have to keep a shooter's mentality and keep shooting. If you stay confident eventually the shots are going to start falling again. I knew after I hit the first couple I was feeling it again."
Smith and Julian Lynch each finished with 13 points for the Storm. Anthony Lynch added 12 points.
The win sets up another showdown with top-seeded Larkin. The Storm knocked off the Royals when they were the top seed last year in the regional.
"It's a whole different scenario with two very different teams from a year ago," Petersen said. "We didn't play each other during the regular season so this is all fresh. It should be fun."
The Maroons finished the season 6-24. Lavion Baldwin had a team-high 17 points. Desmond Douglas added 16.
"We did a good job of coming back after that slow start to get the lead," Elgin assistant coach Adam Bruhn said. "But all year we have had a problem sustaining it. That was the case again tonight."