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Negron, Larkin shine in national showcase

He's still a junior in high school but Larkin forward Christian Negron is used to big stages.

Negron, already a veteran of the high-level AAU basketball circuit with the Mac Irvin Fire, is so used to playing in large venues like the UIC Pavilion, where the Royals defeated East St. Louis 60-54 Saturday in a Chicago Elite Classic matinee, he excels in the situation.

In the first half alone the 6-foot-6 junior with offers from Iowa, Illinois, DePaul and Virginia Tech registered 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 steals. He finished tied for the game-high with 20 points to go with 14 rebounds, 5 blocks and 5 steals.

"One of the best players in the country, that's what he looked like," Larkin coach Deryn Carter said. "What he does as a complete game, I'll take it. I'll take him. I know there are other guys who are rated this and may be more complete offensively, but as a complete game he dictates every aspect of it and that's special."

Negron said he enjoys the challenge afforded by a showcase game with his high school team.

"You want to stay true to yourself and you want to stay within yourself, but it is a national showcase," Negron said. "You want to show what you can do. That's one of the reasons we come to this place, not just for myself but for Larkin to show what we really can do."

What Larkin did after the break was play better on the perimeter. The Royals limited their second-half turnovers to 7 and AJ Hunter got hot from the arc. The senior guard splashed each of his 3 second-half 3-point attempts, part of a 20-point performance that helped the Royals (4-2) win their second game in 18 hours. They knocked off rival Elgin 84-80 on Friday night.

The Flyers (1-4) aren't the same team they were when they were invited to the Chicago Elite Classic. Their most-recruited player, junior center Jeremiah Tilmon, transferred in October to prep school basketball power LaLumiere Academy in LaPorte, Ind.

Yet East St. Louis led 43-42 after three quarters and trailed only 55-53 with 1:25 to play after 6-4 senior Antonio Johnson scored the last 2 of his 11 points on a baseline drive.

The Royals then got a late lift from junior forward Tariq Burns (6-5), who rebounded a missed 3-pointer and scored on a left-handed putback to stake Larkin to a 5-point lead with 27 seconds left. They were his only points of the game.

"Big. Big," Carter said. " I think he's 1 for 6 this weekend on putback layups. At least he got the right one."

East St. Louis made the 5-hour drive to Chicago Friday night after a 65-62 home loss to Alton. The Flyers arrived at their hotel at 4 a.m. prior to the 1 p.m. tipoff.

The Royals likewise stayed at a Chicago hotel Friday night and Carter admitted their energy was low, but the Royals found a way to win.

"It's been a great 48 hours with two big-time wins, a national showcase and a rivalry game," Negron said. "That win (Friday) night definitely gave us some momentum. We talked on the bus that it would have been a long ride here if we had lost that game, so we're definitely glad we won and we're glad we won this one."

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