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West Aurora rolls over West Chicago

In coming weeks, senior twins DaVion and DaQuan Cross will look to duplicate their all-state track and field campaigns from a year ago.

Last fall, the brothers were instrumental to West Aurora having an undefeated football regular season in more than a half-century.

But their boys basketball season still holds plenty of promise.

Thursday night in Aurora, DaVion Cross, who missed much of the season with injuries, was a grand master for the West Aurora offense.

The senior point guard went 7-for-8 in scoring 17 of his team-high 19 points in the first half as West Aurora trailed but once in its 86-57 Upstate Eight Conference Valley win over West Chicago.

DaQuan Cross would have made it a perfect 5-for-5 for West Aurora starters in double figures, but he was a point shy.

"I always knew I was going to do all three sports," said DaVion Cross, whose third 3-pointer of the first half seconds before the second-quarter buzzer gave the Blackhawks a 50-30 lead at halftime. "It has led me to be who I am right now."

"I came to love not having an off-season," DaQuan Cross said.

DaVion Cross is the back-to-back Class 3A state runner-up in the triple jump.

DaQuan Cross epitomized the Blackhawks' dominance on the glass.

West Aurora would ultimately enjoy a 29-9 advantage in rebounds as DaQuan Cross had 3 offensive rebounds in once sequence in scoring his only first-half field goal.

"(DaVion Cross) hurt us, but getting outrebounded 18-6 (in the first half) was the difference-maker," West Chicago coach Bill Recchia said. "Of those 18 rebounds, 12 of them were offensive."

"We really focus on (rebounding) in practice," DaQuan Cross said. "We have a lot of guys who can jump. Our practices are very competitive. It's all about who jumps highest."

The high jump was DaQuan Cross' all-state event last year.

West Aurora (17-7, 7-1) is the sole leader in the Valley with two games to play after Glenbard East defeated Bartlett Thursday night.

West Chicago, with Tai Bibbs carrying the offensive load once again for the Wildcats, fell to 15-8, 2-6.

West Aurora scored 25 points in each of the first two quarters as team shot over 60 percent from the field while controlling the misses they did suffer.

West Aurora starters Damian Virgen, Jared Crutcher and Caleb Siler finished with 11, 10 and 10 points.

Sixth-man Ben Young drained three 3-pointers in adding 11 more points for the Blackhawks.

"We did not come out with the intensity this game demands," Recchia said. "But it's a fixable thing."

With several college coaches in attendance, Bibbs floated for a game-high 28 points.

"He is going to wait until the season is over," Recchia said of Bibbs' collegiate choice.

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