Kochera, St. Viator blow by Marmion

St. Viator basketball coach Quin Hayes enjoys having Connor Kochera on his side.

So do his teammates.

"He's very selfless," Hayes said of Kochera. "That's why they love playing with him so much. They love setting him up to make sure he gets things going for us."

Kochera did just that, scoring the game's first 8 points on his way to a game-high 31 points during the Lions' 82-43 nonconference victory over Marmion (3-12) Saturday night in Aurora.

"I just wanted to come out and play my game - bring energy," said Kochera. "We've had a little bit of a break since the (Wheeling) Christmas tournament. You never want to come out flat."

During the first 2 ½ minutes, Kochera was a human highlight reel.

After splitting a pair of free throws, Kochera's steal and layup made it 3-0 and his steal and 2-hand dunk on the ensuing possession was followed by a 3-pointer that extended the margin to 8-0 and forced Cadets coach Tony Young to burn a quick timeout.

"We definitely brought energy," said Kochera. "I was very happy with the way we played defense. That led to our offense. We got quick steals and easy buckets. That really set the tone for the rest of the game."

St. Viator (11-4) shot out to a 17-3 advantage and still led 21-6 before Marmion scored the final 9 points of the period to trim the deficit to 21-15.

The run included 4 points from Griffin Bohr (7 points) and was capped by a 3-pointer from Sean Kavanaugh (10 points, 5 rebounds).

The Lions seized control with a 10-0 surge in the first 4-plus minutes, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Kochera, who matched the Cadets' entire first-half scoring total with 23 points.

St. Viator led 40-23 at halftime.

"We were able to tighten back up and get more stops that led to layups," said Hayes, whose team forced 14 first-half turnovers. "That's what it's all about for us. We have to guard night in and night out and hopefully that leads to transition baskets.

"We knew that if we trapped them that they might struggle and they did."

By the time Kochera departed midway through the third quarter, the 6-foot-5 William & Mary commit had scored 31 points, outscoring Marmion's team (28 points).

"I talk about it every game ­- he's a special talent," Hayes said of Kochera. "His work ethic is something I've never seen before. All of these good things are happening because he has put in the time and work."

Led by junior Jake Pasko (15 points), the Lions' reserves connected on all 7 of their 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter.

"I'm proud of those guys who don't get as many minutes as the starters - to come in and be ready," said Hayes.

Nate Johnson added 4 points and 6 rebounds for Marmion, which committed 22 turnovers.

"We've got to play harder - both sides of the floor," said Young. "We've got to be more disciplined. It's those little things as a group."