Nobody wanted to take a halftime break Friday night more than Lincoln-Way Central senior Jack Vegter.
The Knights’ leading scorer just couldn’t get into a rhythm against Lockport. With four points, he was well below his season average of 16.
Time to regroup.
“For sure,” Vegter said, smiling. “It was nice to have a breather. When we went back out, I tried to focus on getting the whole team involved, play hard down the stretch and try not to get so mad when shots didn’t fall.”
He was his team-leading self in the second half for Lincoln-Way Central during a 39-30 victory over the visiting Porters in a SouthWest Suburban crossover.
Vegter, a Denison recruit, produced a game-high 15 points and seven rebounds for the Knights (5-4). Frank DeCarlo added six points, while Jack Barrett contributed five points and five rebounds.
Nicholas Vassilakis had 10 points for the Porters (7-3). His brother Alex was next with five points and five rebounds.
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Lincoln-Way Central was clinging to a 16-14 lead when Vegter, a 6-foot-4 guard, came up big time in the third quarter.
He opened with a 10-foot jumper, followed with a layup on a pass from DeCarlo and then hit a pullup jumper.
Later, he scored on a shot from the left side to give the Knights a double-digit lead for the first time.
Vegter, a transfer student from Lincoln-Way East, has been a pleasant surprise for Knights coach Bob Curran.
He’s not only a scorer. He has turned into a leader.
“This whole group of kids are one of the most fun teams that I’ve coached,” Curran said. “They all get along. We ended up keeping 18 guys, and there were no bad attitudes about not playing.
“Different guys step up, but Jack kind of leads that. The first couple of games, he was taken out a few times and accepted it. He just got better every day at practice and just kind of set the tone.”
Vegter started as a junior for the Griffins and was up on the varsity as a sophomore.
“During the summer, me and my parents moved to New Lenox and the Central district,” Vegter said. “It turned out to be a great fit for me.
“The Central style of play fits me well. It’s been a lot of fun. And I love playing for coach Curran.”
Barrett was also a key to the Knights pulling away in the third quarter.
The junior guard went back-to-back with a layup and a 3-pointer before turning the scoring baton back over to Vegter.
“I just like to stick to our game plan,” Barrett said. “Coach Curran does a good job getting us ready each week. I like to stay in what he teaches us and it works every time.
“We have so many guys who can step up and hit shots — all five of us. Jack is one of the best shooters I’ve seen, high school-wise.”
Lockport came into the game short-handed. Senior guard Julius Smith was out with an illness. Senior guard Dominic Crapia just returned from an illness.
Senior guard Anthony Munson just came back from an ankle sprain.
“We’ve had ourselves a little bit of a week here,” Lockport coach Brett Hespell said. “It’s just one of those times of the year. It’s a long season. That’s the way it goes.”
The Porters have lost three straight after a 7-0 start. They shot 18.6% (8 of 43) against the Knights.
“That’s a big problem,” Hespell said. “I wish I had a magic elixir to make it go away. Central played great defense and was prepared well.
“We have to find ways to score when things are tough. That’s just the way the season goes.”