Kelton McEwen certainly showed how much that practice is paying off in a nonconference matchup Saturday against St. Charles North. McEwen scored 18 of his 26 points in the second half as the Hawks used a 14-0 run in the third quarter to earn a 56-50 victory.

After a big win at Bartlett Tuesday, you might think Larkin would start slow against South Elgin Friday night.That didn’t happen.

Damari Wheeler-Thomas scored a game-high 38 points, connecting on all 6 of his 3-point attempts, to help lift the Royals (19-2, 10-0) to a convincing 69-53 Upstate Eight Conference victory over host Bartlett (13-4, 7-2) Tuesday night.

When it comes to devising a strategic defensive game plan against Bartlett’s 7-foot-3 senior center Conrad Luczynski, opposing teams will try about anything. Whether it be a physical man-to-man approach or more double and triple teaming, East Aurora (10-5, 5-2) couldn’t figure out the right combination Friday night.

For a team having a rough season, Glenbard East sure showed a lot of heart in playing one of its best stretches of the season late in Friday’s Upstate Eight Conference game with visiting Fenton.

There is one common goal for the Glenbard West boys basketball team and it involves playing and winning the final game of the season in March.After another dominating performance Wednesday in a 64-43 victory over once-beaten Larkin, Glenbard West took yet another step in solidifying itself as the top Class 4A team in the state.But there isn’t complacency from a group led by three-year varsity starters in Braden Huff, Caden Pierce and Bobby Durkin. There is a continued will to come to practice each day and find ways to get better and leave no doubt come playoff time.“We still take one game at a time and don’t overlook anyone,” said Pierce, one of four Hilltoppers in double figures Wednesday with his 13 points. “It’s great taking the court with these guys every single night. We obviously have a lot of confidence with the way we’re playing right now. Yeah, there’s definitely no complaining, it’s nice to win.”Glenbard West (17-0) got off to a fast start with all five starters contributing in the scoring column to a 14-3 run to begin the game. The last of those buckets was a thunderous slam dunk from the 6-foot-11 Huff.The Gonzaga commit scored 10 of his 16 points before halftime as the Hilltoppers doubled up Larkin, 30-15, at the break. Pierce, a Princeton recruit, also had two slams of his own in the win.“I think the nice part about us is that we have a number of guys that can contribute,” said Huff, who finished with a game-high 18 points. “I think it’s honestly our biggest strength. I’ve been playing [basketball] with a lot of these guys since elementary school, so it’s awesome to have one last ride as a group. We know we just have to keep it going.”Larkin (17-2) was coming off an Upstate Eight Conference victory Tuesday night over Streamwood, and while coach Deryn Carter makes no excuses, he hopes to see Glenbard West again with a more significant amount at stake.“They’re one of the better teams we’ve had to play since I’ve been [at Larkin],” Carter said. “They’re a heck of a team. The problem is that once you get down by 15 to a team like this, you’re going to need some help. I thought we fought hard and got back in it, but [Glenbard West] is just so good and they didn’t make very many mistakes tonight. We could see them down the line and we hope we get another crack at them.”Royals standout guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas was limited for most of Wednesday night due to the length and size of the Glenbard West 1-3-1 zone. Starting players at 6-foot-11, 6-foot-8, 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-6 made it extremely difficult for Larkin’s athleticism to shine, but Wheeler-Thomas helped get his team within 10 at two different occasions in the second half.However, Durkin answered the Larkin fourth quarter comeback attempt with one of his 4 3-pointers to aid a 10-0 run to put the game out of reach. Durkin finished with 14 points in the win.Wheeler-Thomas finished with 13 points, while Fernando Perez led the Royals with 14 points.“We know that when we play the way we are capable of, we like our chances against anyone,” Durkin said. “Our unselfishness gives us that piece of mind that we don’t have to play a perfect game to still be able to get the job done.”“The overall goal every time we step on the court together, whether that be practice or a game, is to improve,” Glenbard West coach Jason Opoka said. “We just have to continue taking this one day at a time. This group understands that it isn’t going to be easy and they know how to fight through any adversity. We have to keep taking baby steps to climb up that hill until we reach the castle.”

West Chicago sophomore guard Hudson Parker claimed he didn’t hear the four words that altered the momentum of Tuesday’s game.But junior guard Ayden Russo did, along with most of the sparse crowd in attendance at venerable Chesbrough Field House in Elgin.

The Royals were ranked ninth in the most recent Associated Press Class 4A poll and eighth by one of the Chicago daily newspapers. Deryn Carter’s group was 16-1 overall and 7-0 in Upstate Eight play after wins against Elgin and East Aurora.Of note in those two conference games, Larkin broke the all-time record for largest margin of victory in the Larkin-Elgin crosstown series. Carter also believes the Royals are off to the best start in school history, as well as the owners of the most consecutive wins in a single season in school history.

Seven combined players finishing in double figures?A freshman emerging from obscurity to nearly tip the scales for the road team?The schools’ student sections trying to one-up one another on a frigid Saturday afternoon?These ingredients essentially have one common denominator at a January boys basketball game in Aurora: yet another fabled encounter between two of the oldest high schools in thestate.

The Hawks broke open a close game with a couple of big second-half runs in defeating the Storm, 70-49, in South Elgin on Friday.