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Lynch, Larkin take care of Streamwood

While being young and inexperienced may be a fair label for the Larkin boys basketball team right now, after a 25-point win over Streamwood Friday night and the night junior Anthony Lynch displayed, the Royals could rewrite that label sooner rather than later by their hard work and team play.

Lynch, who sizzled making 4 of his first 5 shots and scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the first quarter, exemplified on one play what Larkin did throughout its 78-53 win over the Sabres to kick off Upstate Eight River action in Streamwood. Off his own steal, Lynch went down the right baseline and threw down a thunderous, one-handed slam that propelled the Royals to a 17-3 lead just 4 minutes in.

"I was feeling it a little bit in pregame so if I was open I was going to try," said Lynch of his slam. He was fouled on the play and converted the 3-point play. "Our energy when we came out (to start) the game, we played D, got stops and our pressure just forced turnovers and that's what led us to points scored. Our players come out ready to play; they know their role."

Lynch looked good in his role. The South Elgin transfer says he feels comfortable playing for his new team and it showed against Streamwood, which didn't have an answer for him all night.

"He's a really great kid and we got a bunch of good kids on our team," Royals coach Deryn Carter said. "We have three guys returning so it'd be one thing if we had 11 guys returning and three guys new and he'd have to jump to speed. He's learning things as the other guys are learning things as well. He's got championship character, he's a high character kid and he just works hard so good things are going to happen for him."

Larkin (4-2, 1-0) led 23-3 with 1:49 left in the first and saw the lead hit an apex at 30 in the fourth quarter. Reserve Pierre Black scored 13 points off the bench which included four 3-pointers and Kashmir Ivy added 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Ten of the 13 Royals who entered the game scored and 6 players at least had 6 points each to go with the 21 turnovers they helped forced.

"Everyone wants to play," said Black, who drained two 3s late in the first quarter. "We want to try to get everyone involved in the game, playing and keep the same level of intensity and energy."

"It's good to be presented with an opportunity to show that your effort and work in practice is carrying over," Carter added. " Hopefully by the end of February to be a really good basketball team."

The Larkin trap totaled 12 steals as Lynch, Jalen Shaw and Kindrel Morris had 2 each. Larkin shot a 45.6 percent clip from the field and was 10-of-20 from downtown. Streamwood, led by Lamont Cole's 18 points, went through droughts thanks to the Royals' defense. The Sabres went over 4 minutes without a point in the first quarter and allowed a 9-0 Larkin run to end the third after the Sabres cut it to 14 on a 12-0 run.

Brendon Marton added 10 points and Keenan Cole and Jason Manalansan had 8 points each for the Sabres (1-4, 0-1) who shot 43 percent and were undermanned with three players not in uniform.

"Some guys were playing in roles they had never been before," Sabres coach Paul Kowalyszyn said of ballhandling and errors forced. "This is going to sound really crazy but this going to make us a better team because guys got put into some different situations they've never been in before as far as their responsibilities."

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