Bartlett wins 2nd straight at Jacobs

After stumbling to a 3-6 record to start the season the Bartlett boys basketball team is hitting its stride this week in the Hinkle Holiday Classic tournament at Jacobs.

The Hawks won their second straight game in pool play on Saturday with a 50-41 victory over Payton College Prep out of Chicago.

The next step is a final pool play game against Prairie Ridge on Tuesday with the winner advancing to the final four championship bracket of the tournament.

The Hawks' success has come despite the absence of their leading scorer Ben Tompson, who is out with a foot injury.

"It's been all about playing together as a team," Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said. "When a team loses its leading scorer for an extended period of time it takes some time for everyone to settle into their new roles. I am happy with the way we have been fighting through that process."

Tomas Vikonis has seen a big change in his role taking over the point guard spot. He responded on Saturday with a team-high 15 points.

"I like playing point guard and trying to get everyone involved," Vikonis said. "No one person is going to be able to step in and make up for Ben's absence. We have to do it as a team. So we are really trying to move the ball around."

The Hawks (5-6) were up 31-21 at halftime, but saw that lead shrink to 39-38 with just under 6 minutes to play in the game. However, Vikonis responded with a driving layup the next time down the floor and later added a pair free throws as the Hawks finished on an 11-3 run to close out the game.

"There is some added pressure on him with Ben out, but he has really stepped up and handled it well," Wolfsmith said of Vikonis. "He is really good at getting to the rim and works really hard to continue to develop his game. I thought the whole team stepped up in crunchtime. We talked about valuing the basketball, making good passes, and taking good shots."

A big second quarter by Bartlett propelled it to the lead. The Hawks outscored Payton 22-9 in the second quarter to erase a 12-9 deficit. The Hawks hit 8 of 12 shots from the field in the quarter.

"It all starts with the defense," Wolfsmith said. "We started doing a much better job of limiting their ability to score. The defense then transitioned into some good things on offense."

Austin Gates added 14 points for the Hawks.