McHenry handles Kaneland, finishes dominant run through Hoops for Healing
McHenry's intense pressure defense will be enough to make opponents sweat this season. But if the Warriors hit shots like they did against Kaneland on Friday, it will some foes downright terrified.
McHenry completed an impressive run through the Hoops for Healing Tournament by dominating a good Knights squad on both sides of the floor in an 83-41 win.
The Warriors, who won their three games by an average of 67.5 points, saved possibly their best performance for last. They shot 66% from the field (31-of-47) while forcing 26 Kaneland turnovers.
"The kids have played together for a long time, so (jelling quickly) did not surprise me, but we shot the ball extremely well, and that did surprise me," said McHenry coach Corky Card.
"We have some skill kids, but I really do think that they are not taking shots for themselves. They are moving the ball and getting good shots. And we were hitting some shots from the outside. Everything flows when you're hitting shots."
That's particularly true when you talk about executing a stifling full-court trap.
The Warriors (3-0) hit their first six shots and seven of their first eight, allowing them to quickly transition into the trapping defense. Behind that, Kaneland turned the ball over seven times in the first eight minutes as McHenry scored 21 of the first 24 points and led 27-6 following an Adam Anwar 3-pointer with 45.7 seconds left in the period.
"We didn't have a lot of time to prep for that early in the season, so it's something we are going to need to work on," said Kaneland coach Ernie Colombe. "It kind of snowballed. We would turn the ball over, and it led to some easy shots for them. They were shooting lights-out no matter who they swung around the ball to.
"We got stuff we can work on and get better at. That's what the tournament is for."
Marko Visnjevac led a balanced attack with 19 points for McHenry. Dylan Hurckes scored 18 points, including 16 in the second half, while Answer had 17 points. Caleb Jett was terrific with five steals to go along with 14 points.
"I think our defense is our main part," Visnjevac said. "We want to frustrate them so they make turnovers, and we are able to produce in transition and score a lot of points. That's what we have been doing."
The Knights (2-1) received eight points and six rebounds from Fredrick Hassan. They will look to bounce back Tuesday with a road game against Rochelle.