Ricci's big game speaks volumes
The backs of the West Chicago boys basketball team's warmup shirts state a simple maxim for success: Do More. Say Less.
When you get down 13-2 to start a game, that's probably not a bad thing to remember.
That was West Chicago's predicament Tuesday at home against a feisty Elgin team that rode a trio of 3-pointers to take that 11-point advantage out of the gate.
But Sam Ricci stuck to the game plan. He did more, and being a naturally reserved sort of lad, he said less.
His game-high 25 points and 13 rebounds paced the Wildcats to a 69-50 Upstate Eight Conference victory to improve to 5-5 overall and 2-3 in league. He also went 10 for 12 from the free-throw line.
But most importantly, the senior was a constant presence around the ball, on both offense and defense.
"You just have to know where to be at the right times, that's a big part of what it is," said Ricci, who came into the contest averaging 13 points a game. "On defense you have to know where the ball is and where your man is at all times."
His coach, Bill Recchia, couldn't have been more pleased - especially after Ricci led the way in reversing the early deficit.
"He's solid, and that's the type of performance that I'm not surprised to see him have," Recchia said. "He's had 20-something (points) before this year, and again, he's almost always double digits in rebounds. He's hard to guard because you put one of their bigs out and he's going to go by you. He's quick around the basket. He does a nice, solid job."
Ricci got help, though. Fellow seniors Jordan Wilkins scored 18 points and Isaac Nelson had 8 and joined with Ricci to put together an 11-0 third-quarter run that put the game away.
Elgin actually had a 34-32 lead at the half and increased it to 40-36 with 5:05 to go before the three struck. Ricci got it started with a layup off a missed free throw by teammate Daniel Roldan. On the ensuing Elgin possession Wilkins stole the ball and laid it up, giving West Chicago a lead it would never relinquish.
After a Ricci layup Nelson got into the action with a steal and a layup. Wilkins closed the run with yet another layup, at 1:14.
"We started out slow the last three games, and it's disappointing, because they know better," Recchia said. "Some of the mistakes we're making are not mistakes I expect, nor do they expect."
As for Elgin (2-7, 0-5), which employed a 3-2 zone most of the game, it was another case of not being able to put together four quarters. The Maroons only scored 16 second-half points after leading at the half, leveraging a pair of 7-2 second-quarter runs.
"It's tough," Elgin coach David Hess said. "We haven't put together a full game yet, but you see glimpses of what we can be. I think in the second half we had 4 assists, 9 turnovers and shot 30 percent, so that leads to run-outs and makes it that much more challenging."
Yarber, a senior who co-led the Maroons with 14 points along with junior Xavier Bonds, agreed with his coach.
"It's just four quarters," Yarber said. "You need to put all four quarters together. Just how we played the first quarter, we need to play all four quarters like that."