JT defense shuts down Stagg 'O'

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PALOS HILLS -- Joliet Township High School boys basketball coach Luke Yaklich was more than pleased with the Steelmen's performance on Friday.

After JT dismantled Stagg 50-33, Yaklich spoke in positive terms about his team's play.

"We came into this game with three goals," Yaklich said. "First, we wanted to get off to a fast start. We wanted to crash the board, and thirdly, we wanted to take great shots.

"I'm pretty sure we did all three of those things."

A 10-0 run to close out the first quarter propelled the Steelmen (9-4, 1-2) to a 22-7 lead. During that stretch, 6-foot-6 junior Anthony Shoemaker, who finished with 8 points, hit a 3-pointer and added 2 free throws.

"We jumped out to a quick start," Yaklich said. "We shot the ball well early."

In the first quarter, JT shot 9-of-16. The Steelmen were 13-of-23 in the first half and built a 32-23 halftime edge.

However, Stagg (4-8, 0-3) did cut the second-quarter deficit to 26-23 with 2:52 remaining on a Niko Sheinfeld free throw. Sheinfeld finished with a game-high 16 points.

The Steelmen closed out the first half on a 6-0 capped by a Wesley Powell 3-pointer at the buzzer. The senior guard shared team scoring honors with senior forward Gary Reese. Both had 13 points as they combined to shoot 10-fo12.

On the night, JT shot 55.9 percent (19-of-34).

"In the second half, we turned up the defense," Yaklich said. "We made an adjustment to sag more and we took away Stagg's lanes. That made it more difficult for them to get shots."

The Chargers managed only 10 second-half points. JT forced them into 17 turnovers, including 10 in the second half.

"The second half was low scoring," Yaklich said. "But as a team, we are maturing with every game. We are beginning to execute a game plan and that's good."

"Stagg refused to come out of its matchup zone and our guys did a good job of not forcing anything."

Senior forward Jamell Tyson added 12 points and 8 rebounds.