Charlie Moore went to the skyhook at one point, full on Jabbar, a shot the 5-foot-11 guard insists he works on for some reason.
Moore did not pretend the alley-oop pass he somehow swished was anything but an accident.
As for the rest of his production, his flawless free-throw shooting, it’s just what No. 1 Morgan Park has rightfully come to expect in the face of a serious challenge.
The Memphis recruit’s brilliant senior season continued Thursday, when he overcame a slow start to score 38 points and make all 12 of his free throws in a 77-67 come-from-behind victory over No. 6 Bogan.
Morgan Park (14-1, 7-0) swept the regular-season series with Bogan (15-5, 6-3) — Moore scored just five points and did not play the final 12 minutes of Morgan Park’s 79-58 win at Bogan on Dec. 17 — but the Red South and Class 3A rivals figure to meet again in the state sectionals.
“We are a well-oiled machine,” Morgan Park coach Nick Irvin said. “When you’ve got the best basketball player in the world, Charlie Moore, Mr. Basketball, Charlie Moore, you can’t lose.
“What I told Charlie was, ‘You’ve got to be a little patient. You’ve got the ballclub, utilize the team, get them involved and pick and choose your spots.'”
Morgan Park threw double teams at Bogan star James Jones to limit him to two points in the first half and 13 overall, but the Bengals were ahead most of the game nevertheless.
Their largest lead was 47-42 in the third quarter, and they were ahead 57-56 in the fourth when Ayo Dosunmu, Melo Burrell and Jamal Burton supported Moore with the type of flourish that seems to define every Morgan Park victory over a quality team.
“A lot of guys made big plays,” Moore said. “I just knew if we kept executing, taking care of the ball and getting stops we’d get the win.”
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.
Player of the game: Charlie Moore, 38 points, 12-12 FTs, 4 assists.
Key performers: Bogan — Bryce Barnes, 18 points; Nate Townsen, 14 points. Morgan Park — Jamal Burton, 8 points, 6 rebounds.