Layups, jump shots, and three pointers were shot consistently during warm-ups as both Huntley and Dundee Crown prepared to face off for Wednesday night’s match up.
The Red Raiders, who are 2-1 in the conference so far this season, came out on top of Dundee-Crown, 48-32, grabbing that second win.
6’3 junior Brett Bigden just the missed the jump ball as Dundee-Crown gained possession and settled the ball in their territory at the beginning of the game.
Despite that, senior Matt Seng started Huntley off strong, scoring a three-pointer from behind the line and putting the first points up on the board for both teams.
Sloppy play from Dundee-Crown resulted in Huntley regaining possession of the ball after they passed it to the Chargers on a quick look.
Seng showed up again from behind the three-point line, making a three and giving the net a little “swish.”
Soon after, junior Andrew Fulcer tips in a rebound and then scores again after Dundee-Crown lets the ball up, putting Huntley up 10-1 within the first five minutes of the game.
“I thought tonight went really well,” Bigden said. “We set the tone early with a 10-1 run to start the game and that set us up for success the rest of the game.”
After a quick first quarter, three more of Huntley’s junior threats extended the Red Raiders lead to 20-12.
One of those threat, junior Cory Knipp, made a layup and a three-pointer since coming into the game late in the first.
The Chargers got a called for a charging foul, coincidentally, giving junior Zack Loveisky two free throws. He missed one and made the other.
Junior Chris Costantino was in the same situation, and he made both free throws, adjusting the scoreboard to 20-12, along with both team’s rotation of players.
While it is evident that Huntley was strong offensively, their defense was just as strong throughout the night. The lead stuck with the Red Raiders for the entire game, ever since the ball first fell through the net at the start of the game.
“I thought that we played really well all around,” junior Andrew Fulcer said. “We’ve struggled to make shots over the first stretch of games and tonight a lot of shots went in. It got our confidence up and sparked us on the defensive and offensive end.”
Bigden started the second half off strong for Huntley, with their solid ball possession continuing throughout the rest of the game.
Senior Stephen Browne re-entered the game and made a three, the score now 33-19. This was his first since he scored a game winning three pointer in overtime to win it for Huntley in their game against Crystal Lake Central last Friday.
This consistency is what Huntley needs if they are looking to keep up their winning record throughout the rest of the season.
As the game comes to an end, Huntley’s junior-heavy team proves successful with points. Knipp and Fulcer were among Huntley’s top scores for the night
Huntley’s next game is home against McHenry on December 16 at 7 p.m.