WW South finds edge against Naperville Central
The run became a marathon.
Not even four timeouts slowed the avalanche of points Wheaton Warrenville South's boys basketball team poured on visiting Naperville Central in the first half of Tuesday's DuPage Valley Conference matchup.
It was more than enough to carry the Tigers to a 46-30 victory that avenged their only DVC loss from early January. It also keeps them atop the league standings and even in the loss column with Naperville North.
Naperville Central started strong with a 7-0 run on three buckets by sophomore Cameron Dougherty, but then the Tigers took off on a 29-3 run. Jake Healy and Jeff Kratz sparked the blitz, but everyone played a part.
The Redhawks committed 10 of their 27 turnovers in the second quarter and managed only 5 shots in the period while being held scoreless until 1:50 remained in the half. Naperville Central never recovered from the 29-14 halftime deficit.
"It's just the edge we have as a team," said Robinson, who had 4 of his 7 steals in the second quarter and 6 of his 8 points. "They got off to a good start, but once we get that run, we have to keep going with it. That's going to give us momentum. If we get a run like that, it's going to turn the whole tide of the game."
Foul trouble compounded the issues for Naperville Central (18-7, 9-4) as Dougherty and Tyler O'Brien each missed court time because of early fouls. Regardless, WW South (21-4, 12-1) was simply too relentless - and too eager for payback after last month's 55-43 loss to the Redhawks.
"We were disappointed in the way we played the first time," said Tigers coach Mike Healy. "They're a tough matchup for us, but we felt like we left some plays out there that we normally make. I just really liked our aggressiveness tonight, especially on defense."
Jake Healy scored 11 of his 17 points in the first half while Kratz had 9 points off the bench and Robinson scored 8 points. Dougherty's 9 points paced Naperville Central, with Daniel Raab pitching in 8 points off the bench.
"We've been good at taking care of the ball most of the season, but that just came out of nowhere," said Redhawks coach Pete Kramer. "We were bad the whole game, and it wasn't just one guy. It was everyone."
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