Analysis: L-W Central Does It with Defense, Rebounding and Free-Throw Shooting

Lincoln-Way Central had quite the size advantage in

At 6-foot-2, Darius Norris was the tallest player in the starting lineup for Joliet Central.

Also at 6-foot-2 was Knights guard Johnny Finnin, who was the shortest starter for Lincoln-Way Central.

The Knights were able to use the size disparity to their advantage from the opening tip. Junior Brad Foster, who stands at 6-foot-8, collected six of his game-high 12 rebounds in the first quarter as the Knights pulled ahead to a 15-4 lead.

 "They really couldn't hit any shots from the outside and we did a nice job of boxing out and keeping them out of the lane," Foster said. "I think the rebounding helped our energy and in getting some things going with the offense."

The Knights outrebounded the Steelmen by a staggering differential of 40-18 en route to a 45-30 victory.

"We had better have with the size difference," Lincoln-Way Central coach Bob Curran said. "I think we also had a lot more opportunities because they didn't shoot well."

A good deal of that had to do with Lincoln-Way Central's defensive effort. Norris scored more than half of the Steelmen's points, but was limited to only five of his game-high 17 points in the second half. While Norris was able to penetrate for inside scoring opportunities on a few occasions, it wasn't enough to compensate for the many off-balance jump shots and rushed shots taken by the Steelmen.

"We had to give up something because of their quickness," Curran said. "The kids did a nice job of adjusting and getting them to take shots from the outside."

Lincoln-Way Central allowed the Steelmen to rally from a 13-point deficit early in the second quarter to trail by just 24-20 at halftime.

The Knights came out strong in the third quarter, scoring seven consecutive points to take a 31-20 lead with 5:23 left in the third quarter. Joliet Central would cut into the Knights' lead, making it a 31-26 contest midway through the fourth quarter, but Lincoln-Way would convert 14 of 16 free throws in the final quarter to put the game away.

Evan Branyik made seven straight from the charity stripe after missing three in a row, while Finnin went 4-of-4 and Sean Blackwood was successful on 3-of-4.

"We just went up there with the confidence that we were going to knock them down and we did," Blackwood said. "Coach told us we have to knock down our free throws and if we do we'll run away with a 10- or 15-point victory."

Here Come the Porters: The Knights (12-18) will be hoping the third time's a charm when they face Lockport on Tuesday. The Knights lost 44-34 at Lockport and 43-26 at home. Perhaps they'll have better luck at a neutral site.

"It should be a great game," Foster said. "We have to limit our turnovers. We've had a lot of breakdowns in the third quarter. That's our big quarter, so if we can limit turnovers and push the ball, we should be able to keep it close."