Days before Thursday’s showdown between the two teams tied for first in the Central Suburban South, Maine South boys basketball coach Tony Lavorato said he didn’t consider Evanston an inexperienced team anymore.
Although five sophomores see significant minutes for the Wildkits, Lavorato said they’ve played enough at this stage of the season to warrant veteran status.
“They are young, but they are varsity players now,” he said on Monday. “They are playing with confidence and showing leadership.”
While sophomore guard Nojel Eastern is the one who receives the accolades, the other four sophomores showed in Thursday’s 58-51 win over the Hawks why they deserve some attention, too. Evanston, which is ranked No. 17 by the baiduhai, moved into sole possession of first place in the league with the win.
Eastern spent the final 6:07 of the third quarter on the bench after tweaking his right ankle. When he left the game, the Wildkits were ahead 27-26. The lead stretched to 11 without him on the floor.
Malik Jenkins was instrumental in creating separation from the ninth-ranked Hawks (21-3, 6-2).
Generously listed at 5-10, the sophomore guard came off the bench to score eight in the final 3 minutes, 14 seconds of the third quarter to propel No. 17 Evanston (15-6, 7-1) to a 46-35 lead by the start of the fourth.
Jenkins, who finished with 11 points, said he was ready for the challenge when Eastern was sidelined.
“No, not nervous,” he said. “Coach always talks about playing hard, and we knew we had to play even harder without [Eastern].”
Evanston coach Mike Ellis didn’t seem surprised by Jenkins’ performance, but Ellis said he’s never seen Jenkins play a varsity game like he did on Thursday.
“He knew he had to be aggressive and make plays,” Ellis said. “He put pressure on the ball and did a solid job of disrupting their flow.”
Even though he missed most of the third quarter, Eastern still finished with a team-high 17 points. Sophomore forward Elyjah Williams, sophomore guard Jerome Bynum and sophomore guard Chris Hamil also impacted the game in a positive way.
Hamil hit one three-pointer late in the third and another early in the fourth. Bynum’s jumper in the paint with 1:36 to go in the fourth put Evanston up 55-48. Meanwhile, Williams’ post presence on defense limited Maine South’s looks in the lane.
“We all have to contribute to win,” Eastern said. “This was [Jenkins’] biggest game, and that’s what we needed from him.”
Said Jenkins: “I don’t feel like a sophomore anymore. I feel like a senior.”
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Notes
* The victory moved Evanston one step closer to its first conference championship since the 2010-11 season. The Wildkits close out the league schedule against Waukegan (0-7 CSL South) on Feb. 13 and Niles West (3-4) on Feb. 20.
* The loss snapped an 11-game win streak for two-time defending league champ Maine South. The Hawks wrap up CSL South play against Niles West on Feb. 13 and Glenbrook South on Feb. 20.
* Jon Arenas single-handedly brought the Hawks back into the game after intermission. With Maine South down 27-19 at the half, the junior guard scored seven points in the first two minutes of the third to get Maine South within one, 27-26. Arenas scored 17 for the game.
* Maine South senior forward George Sargeant, the team’s leading scorer, had all 10 of his points in the first two quarters.
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