Jalen Jackson was shut out for most of the second half, but the Joliet Catholic senior made up for it in the final minutes of a 53-43 win over No. 16 Notre Dame.
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Jackson, who scored 15 points in the first half, poured in 10 points in the game’s last 1 minute, 32 seconds for the host Hilltoppers (16-3, 3-2 East Suburban Catholic).
“That’s a top 20 team in the state, so beating them gives us a lot of confidence and a lot to build on,” Jackson said before marveling at his team’s record. “Sixteen-and-three, that’s the first time in a long time.”
Joliet Catholic held a slight edge for most of the contest until the Dons (16-5, 2-3) took their first lead at 31-29 on a putback by Chris Heinichen with 1:45 left in the third quarter.
With the Hilltoppers leading 42-37 with 1:32 to play in the fourth, Jackson went to work, sprinting in for three consecutive layups and a 48-41 advantage. Jackson went 4-for-4 from the free throw line, including a pair of technical shots, in the final 14 seconds. He finished with 26 points.
Harold Davis added some offensive punch for the Hilltoppers in the fourth, scoring seven of his 11 points, including a 3-pointer for a six-point lead with 5:20 left.
Notre Dame went scoreless in the final quarter until Ammar Becar hit a layup with 4:31 to play, ending a 7-0 JCA run.
“I think the difference was defense,” JCA coach Joe Gura said. “When we got some stops against them, that was huge. I thought our quickness helped us get to the basket at the end of the game.”
Bob Hurst is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.
Player of the game: Jalen Jackson, Joliet Catholic, 26 points.
Key performers: Joliet Catholic — Harold Davis, 11 points, 2 steals. Notre Dame — Lucas Simon, 11 points; Anthony D’Avanzo, 9 points.