Huntley shakes off slow start, knocks off Jacobs
Like a car in brutally cold weather, Huntley's offense took time to heat up.
After a 6-point first quarter effort, the Red Raiders scored 51 points in the final 3 quarters and defeated Jacobs 57-49 in Fox Valley Conference action in Huntley Thursday night.
The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday but postponed because of inclement weather.
"We got some easy shots and layups offset plays and got into a rhythm offensively in the second quarter," said Huntley coach Will Benson. "We got some 50-50 balls and started hitting shots. At this time of the year there are no secrets. The teams know each other."
Spearheaded by 8 points from Jaden Henderson, Jacobs (10-14 overall) led 10-6 after 1 quarter.
A 3-pointer by Ryan Crosby gave the Red Raiders (13-13, 7-6) the lead for good 18-15 with 4:35 left in the first half.
Connecting on 9-of-12 from the floor and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, the Raiders outscored the Golden Eagles 23-14 in the second quarter and led 29-24 at intermission.
Uchenna Egekeze scored 7 including a 3 while Ryan Sroka and Ryan Vrught tallied 5 each as the hosts held a 5-point halftime advantage.
The Raiders were able to seize control of the game in the third quarter. On a 15-footer by Crosby, Huntley held its biggest lead of the game at 45-31.
Jacobs senior sharpshooter Matt McCoy kept the visitors in the game with two 3s including a buzzer-beater as the Golden Eagles sliced Huntley's deficit to 45-37.
The Red Raiders made 8-of-8 from the free-throw line in the last 2 minutes to seal the win. Egekeze was a perfect 6-of-6 and Crosby made 2-of-2.
Sroka and Egekeze scored 17 each while Crosby had 13.
"I know my role is to shoot the ball and I am confident my teammates will get the ball to me in good position to score," said Crosby. "I try to give us a spark."
Benson liked his team's effort offensively and defensively.
"We needed this win," said the Huntley coach. "It was a big win for our confidence. We have had some tough losses. We shot the ball well after the first quarter and we got defensive stops when we needed them. We made winning plays. We lost McCoy a couple of times but he is a very good shooter."
McCoy with six 3s led Jacobs with 22 points while Henderson scored 14.
"We have extreme highs and lows during games," said Jacobs coach Jim Roberts. "We lack the toughness necessary to win games in the fourth quarter."