Defense carries Batavia past Streamwood
The Batavia boys basketball team's effective defensive coupled with timely 3-point shooting earned the Bulldogs a 53-35 win over Streamwood on their home court Friday night.
After allowing the Sabres 14 points in the first quarter, the Bulldogs limited Streamwood to single digits in the remaining three quarters of the Upstate Eight River Division game.
"We really clamped down on them. Second, third and fourth quarter, they got less than 10 points," said Batavia coach Jim Nazos. "They went through some offensive stretches but defensively we were able to keep the game were it was at. "
Batavia (3-4, 1-2) led 15-14 after the first eight minutes.
The Bulldogs scored the first 11 points of the second quarter as Streamwood (1-8, 0-3) was scoreless for the first seven minutes of the period.
DeAngelo Flynn (7 points) scored the Sabres' first point of the period when he sank 2 free throws with 1:10 left in the half. The Bulldogs led 27-18 at halftime.
"They shot lights out in the first quarter. I thought our defense wasn't awful but they knocked down everything. We hung with them," said Streamwood coach Paul Kowalyszyn. "In the second quarter, everything went bad for us."
Batavia widened its lead in the third quarter, going up 34-20 early in the frame on a Colin Cheaney (9 points) 3-pointer.
Streamwood made a short run in the quarter and closed the gap to 10 points, 34-24, on a Lamont Cole free throw. On the next trip down the court, another Cheaney trey put the Bulldogs backup by 13.
"They keep competing and they keep fighting, so you knew they were going to make another run and they kind of did in the third quarter a little bit," Nazos said of the Sabres. "But we were able to hang in there defensively while we weren't necessarily scoring."
Streamwood trailed by 12 at the start of the last quarter but that was as close as it would get. Jayden Johnson (11 points) opened Batavia's fourth period scoring with his third trey to again widen the gap to more comfortable 15 point lead, 42-27.
"My teammates just found me when I was open" Johnson said. "We played well as a unit and got the win out there."
JT Dietz (11 points) provided most of the inside scoring, making all 5 of his baskets from inside the paint.
Nazos is still experimenting with his rotations as 13 Bulldogs saw playing time.
"We've got a lot of guys, guys that can play and it's early in the year, so you are still looking for things," said Nazos.