Lincoln-Way Central and Thornton entered Friday with 19 combined wins, and the first quarter was nearly even.
But Thornton overpowered the Knights in the second quarter with its 3-point shooting and earned a 77-57 Southwest Suburban Red victory.
No. 9 Thornton (10-1, 4-0) went on a 15-4 run in the second to take a 44-32 halftime lead. Samuel Taylor III scored 21 points in the first half for the Wildcats and finished with a game-high 26.
Thornton shot 6-for-7 from beyond the arc in the second period and made 10 of its 14 3-pointers in the first half.
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“That’s what we do, just shoot,” Taylor said. “I was feeling it in warmups.”
Asked if Taylor had the green light to go for 3s, Thornton coach Tai Streets said, “It looks like it.
“Sometimes he gets a little trigger happy. He usually makes good decisions. He’s a smart guy, a competitor.”
The Knights (10-3, 2-2) played tough in the first quarter. A jumper by Mitch Kwasigroch gave the his team a 14-12 lead, and a pair of free throws by Mikey Koszela pulled Lincoln-Way to within 20-19 going into the second.
But Thornton’s long-range attack buried the Knights, who were outscored 35-17 in the middle two quarters.
“They did a good job in the first quarter attacking us, we had to pick it up,” Streets said. “It’s a good test, they’re a good team.”
Koszela, who led the Knights with 18 points, provided his team’s final highlight with a dunk midway through the fourth to make it 59-45, but Taylor and Christian Anderson answered with consecutive 3s for the Wildcats.
Bob Hurst is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.
Player of the game: Samuel Taylor III, Thornton, 26 points, 6 3-pointers.
Key performers: Thornton — Curtis Dilworth, 15 points. Lincoln-Way Central — Mikey Koszela, 18 points, 13 rebounds; Jarret Gmazel, 13 points.