Thornton remembers, and helps Hoffman Estates past Schaumburg
That old saying about an elephant never forgetting?
Well, neither does Hoffman Estates 6-foot-1 guard Jorden Thornton.
The senior avenged a forgettable performance in an earlier loss at rival Schaumburg with a 9-for-14 shooting effort which included 4-for-5 from beyond the arc for a game-high 24 points in propelling the Hawks to a 48-45 win in this Mid-Suburban West boys basketball matchup.
"Last game, they really scouted me well," said Thornton, refering to a a 53-35 loss Jan. 8 in which he had 7 turnovers while going 2 of 7 for 9 points before fouling out. "I didn't shoot the ball well and turned it over way too many times.
"I used that game as a teaching tool of sorts, and as a result I was better able to attack them better offensively tonight."
The second of Thornton's four 3s keyed an 8-0 run that reduced a 17-8 early second-quarter deficit and made it 17-16 at the 5:21 mark of the opening half.
Thornton's third 3 from 25 feet out beat the halftime buzzer and once again placed the Hawks down by a point (at 28-27).
His final trey with 49 seconds left in the third quarter keyed the game's deciding 15-4 tear that continued into the final stanza. That surge featured Thornton giving Hoffman Estates a 40-38 advantage on a driving lay-up with 6:58 left, followed by a feed inside to 6-3 senior forward Michael Johnson to give the Hawks (9-13, 2-5) the lead for good at 42-40 with 4:52 to go.
Another plus for the Hawks was their defensive effort. They forced the visiting Saxons (5-18, 2-5) to 3-of-11 shooting in the final eight minutes.
"In our last meeting we were settling for shots that were 19, 20, 21, 22 feet. This evening we attacked better, we helped one another out (defensively), fifth-year Hoffman Estates coach Luke Yanule said. "Tonight was a growing moment for us a team."
After Thornton's 24th and final point at the foul line with 18 seconds left, Schaumburg still had an opportunity to force extended play as junior guard Aaron Kline's fourth triple of the game pulled the Saxons within 3.
After Hoffman's Lamont McIntosh went 1-for-2 at the foul line, Schaumburg got a pair of opportunities from beyond the arc in the closing seconds only to have both Kline (team-high 20 points) and 6-foot senior guard Brandon Golliher miss those attempts.
Yanule, whose team started the 2015-16 campaign 3-8, is seeing his team start to gain confidence. The Hawks host back-to-back 6 p.m. games next weekend versus Barrington (on Friday) and Benet (on Saturday).
"We've played one of the tougher schedules around," said Yanule, who's watched his Hawks face Glenbard West, Lake Park, Lake Zurich, Conant, Fremd and Palatine. "We're battle-tested, we're playing hard and most importantly headed in the right direction."