advertisement

South Elgin closes better against Elgin

South Elgin's boys basketball team wanted to close out a game, and they did it, pulling away from Elgin late for a 54-35 Upstate Eight victory in South Elgin.

The Storm led 24-13 at halftime, then outscored the Maroons 13-3 in the third quarter to all but ice the game. Elgin finally got its offense going in the final period but it was too late.

Drew Cwik scored 12 points and Lane McVicar added 11 for South Elgin (4-5, 2-2).

Xavier Bonds led Elgin with 9 points before fouling out late.

"The effort was phenomenal from us," said South Elgin coach Brett Johnson. "And coming off our debacle at East Aurora on Monday, having a 20-point lead and losing the game, we needed something positive tonight and I thought we got that from a lot of different players."

The Storm used their zone defense to slow the Maroons' athleticism, forcing them to shoot from long range. Elgin hit three 3-pointers in the first 13 minutes, but none thereafter.

After some starts and stops, the Storm offense began to find its rhythm. After a 13-point first quarter, South Elgin didn't score in the second until 2:45 remained before halftime. After a bucket by Wyatt Steurer broke the ice, the Storm rattled off 9 more points in the last 2 ½ minutes.

After falling in overtime to East Aurora, the Storm picked up a key conference win before starting Christmas tournament play at Jacobs.

"Offensively, we were just moving the ball, cutting through and making the right passes," McVicar said. "It feels really good to get the win. We needed this heading into the tournament and everything else."

John Aaron Wafford and Kendis Wiley added 8 points apiece, and Joseph Zdybel pulled down 6 rebounds for the Storm.

Elgin was again done in by turnovers, coughing it up 24 times.

"We just weren't good in their zone," said Elgin coach Todd Allen. "We tried to get the kids in the right spots, but we couldn't get the ball in the basket. And our turnovers hurt us again as well."

Darien Jackson scored 7 points for Elgin. Jeffery Lomax contributed 6 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

Elgin trailed 13-10 after a steal and layup by Jackson early in the second quarter. Neither team scored again until Steurer's basket. A Bonds 3-pointer made it 20-13, but South Elgin scored the next 13 points in a row, a run that bridged halftime.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.