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South Elgin takes care of ball, East Aurora

There was a period in the third quarter on Thursday when it seemed like South Elgin's boys basketball team had the ball constantly in its contest at East Aurora.

There was considerable reality to that impression - the Storm really did control the basketball throughout the third quarter as well as for much of their Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division contest against the Tomcats. Though East Aurora did get a rally together in the fourth quarter, the Storm did more than enough to earn their 58-50 victory.

"I've been trying to get this group all season to take care of the basketball, take good shots and move the ball as a unit, because then anybody can step up. I thought that happened tonight," South Elgin coach Brett Johnson said.

Down the stretch, with East Aurora pressing and rallying, South Elgin (15-8, 4-4) turned to one of its steady hands to hit one of the most important shots of the contest, a fallaway 3-pointer from the right corner by Logan Atkins.

"In a lot of our games, when it comes down to the very end, I feel like it's my job to hit that shot to bring us up," Atkins said. "Ever since I was little, I tried to be patient. Coach Johnson said that if I kept reversing it, the shots would come back to me and then I just had to knock it down, and that's what I did in the fourth quarter."

Atkins only hit a pair of 3-pointers and a pair of free throws in the second half, but still finished with a game-high 17 points.

"He was smart enough to understand to wait and be patient for his opportunity to shoot," Johnson said. "Sometimes he tends to take it too early. When he waits, he hits those shots. That's a good thing, especially when he goes and plays at the next level."

South Elgin hit 6 free throws in the fourth quarter and Kyle Scully made 4 of them. He finished with 10 points.

"It was nice to see that they kept their heads up and had the confidence to make the right plays down the stretch," Johnson said. "(Scully) has grown so much as a leader and as a playmaker."

After East Aurora (6-17, 3-5) stretched a lead to 21-11 early in the second quarter, the Storm caught fire, outscoring the Tomcats 20-5 to halftime. Despite numerous attempted rallies, East Aurora never led again. Still, when Traevon Brown converted a steal-and-layup with 1:56 left in the game, South Elgin's lead was 49-47. Then Atkins hit his 3-pointer from the corner and Scully scored and the Storm had breathing room.

"We just need to get more consistent," East Aurora coach Wendell Jeffries said. "We've been playing better. This was a good team, with a winning record. But we need to be more consistent."

Jules Williamson led East Aurora with 15 points while Davonte Faulkner added 14 for the Tomcats.

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