KANKAKEE – Getting off to a fast start while playing host to the Class 2A Bishop McNamara Regional on their home floor was high on the checklist of things to accomplish Friday night for the Fieldcrest Knights.
Returning the 15th regional championship in the program's 31-year history to Minonk, Wenonah, Toluca, Dana and the rest of Knight Country was also on the checklist.
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The top-seeded Knights led Bishop Mack, another proven program, from the first minute in front of a packed crowd, scoring 25 points in the first quarter to cruise to a 72-47 victory and advance to next Tuesday. advanced to the semifinals. Class 2A Clifton Central Section.
“It's still early days,” Knights junior guard Ed Lawton said of the key to his and his teammates' quick start. “We just go into the game with the mindset that we can beat them. We practice every day, we shoot, we practice, we work on the fundamentals.
“Playing basketball with your friends, that's what it's all about.” The energy we bring to each other is really great. ”
“Bishop Mack is a great team,” Fieldcrest coach Jeremy Hahn said. “They have a lot of talent, so we knew we couldn't come in and just fumble our way out. To start this game, we needed to work on our game, especially defensively. They needed to focus. Offense is usually what fuels defense, so coming into a hostile gym with great fans on both sides of the court and staying locked in right away made a lot of sense for the players. I think that was the case.
“We played with emotion and intelligence. It was a really, really good start for us, so I'm proud of them.”
Josia Johnson scored nine of Fieldcrest's 25 points in the first quarter and finished with 17 points, and fellow 6-foot-6 senior guard Brady Luestman added six points in the first eight minutes to close out the game. He scored a best 22 points. In the third quarter, he made two-handed dunks one minute apart, extending the lead to 15 points for the first time in his second attempt, giving the Knights the lead.
“We knew we had a packed gym, a lot of fans, and a lot of momentum,” Luestman said of the regional host. “Once we were able to get through that a little bit and keep it close and get the fans out of it a little bit, we just had to start playing basketball.
“That’s what we do best.”
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Connor Reichman (15 points), Jordan Hyder (9 points) and Lawton (7 points, including 5 points in the first quarter) also spearheaded Fieldcrest's attack, which was limited to 10 points in the second quarter. They led 35-24 at halftime, but scored 20 points in the third to take a commanding 55-36 advantage into the fourth. Hahn entered the game with 2:18 left in the game and had the Knights in complete control, 70-47.
Robert Hutson had 14 points and Abner Garcia added 10 points to lead Bishop Mack (20-9). However, the Fightin Irish never got closer than eight points after the first quarter.
“We were poor. The first eight minutes were terrible on the defensive side of the floor,” Bishop Mack coach Adrian Provost said. “Unfortunately, that's been going on for years.” [in the postseason] …And at this time of year, if all it takes is a bad performance to finish the floor, that's what happens.
“And to be honest, [Fieldcrest] Hit some hard shots early on and then it gets easier…and you could never get more than one stop. That's a credit to them. ”
On Tuesday, Fieldcrest will face Manteno, which beat Illinois Central Eight Conference rival Wilmington 48-31 in the Manteno Regional Championship on Friday.
