MK_022020

38 | February 20, 2020 | the mokena messenger sports
mokenamessengerdaily.com
Knights ahead of schedule in breaking records
5
STEVE MILLAR, Sports Editor
Lincoln-Way Central
junior Sean Curran said
his team has not thought
much about making
school history, at least not
this season.
Curran is one of 18 juniors
on the roster for the
Knights, who have just
two seniors, both reserves.
“We’re young, so we’re
really excited about next
year,” Curran said.
Those comments came
after the Knights picked
up their 21st win of this
season, with three regular
season games still to go.
If next year is the year
for Central, this year has
been quite the precursor.
With a 71-59 win over
Lincoln-Way West on
Thursday, Feb. 13, Central
clinched at least a share of
its first SouthWest Suburban
Red title and can win
the league outright with a
victory in either of its final
two conference games.
The Knights are set to host
Andrew on Friday, Feb.
21, and visit Stagg on
Tuesday, Feb. 25.
The Knights hit the coveted
20-win mark for the
Lincoln-Way Central’s Sean Curran runs into Lincoln-
Way West’s Jacob Vassalla on his way to the basket
during the Knights’ 71-59 win Thursday, Feb. 13. JULIE
MCMANN/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
first time as Lincoln-Way
Central.
They last won 20 or
more when they went 25-5
in 2000-01, the final season
as one Lincoln-Way
before the split into Central
and East.
“I think it’s pretty cool,”
junior forward Ryan Kraft
said. “It’s a cool number to
hit. We have a few more
games left [in the regular
season], so we want to finish
strong.”
Central coach Bob Curran
knows the significance
of getting beyond 20 wins.
He hit the mark three times
in five seasons as Thornwood’s
coach, but this is
his first time in 10 seasons
at the helm of the Knights.
“We haven’t done it
since I’ve been here, so it’s
great,” he said. “I didn’t
know coming into the season.
We don’t see these
guys in the summer. We
have four baseball players,
two golfers, so hardly any
of them play basketball
in the summer. We had to
kind of piece it together at
the start.
“The season is a grind.
I’m really impressed with
our juniors and the two seniors
we have. They have
come to play almost every
single basketball game,
and you don’t always see
that with younger guys.
It’s a sign of their maturity
and competitiveness.
Hopefully we can keep
that going the next two
weeks.”
Central’s 20th win came
Feb. 11 with a 66-49 win
over Bradley-Bourbonnais.
James Ogrodnik
scored 16 points, Nick
Tingley added 12, and
Mike Maloney scored 10.
In the win over West,
five players hit double digits
in scoring for Central
(21-7, 6-0): Kraft (16),
Sean Curran (14), Tingley
(12), Matt Maloney (11)
and Mike Maloney (10).
Jacob Vassalla (nine rebounds)
and Connor Jenkins
led West (2-22, 0-6)
with 19 points each.
The Warriors hung
tough early as Central led
just 30-28 at halftime.
“It’s a rivalry game,”
Bob Curran said. “We
have respect for them. We
know how good [West
head coach Brian Flaherty
and assistant coach Dick
Mandella] are as coaches.
“I told the guys if we’re
going to give up 50 points,
every game is going to be
somewhat close. We need
to do a better job on that
end. It will be nice to get
back to some fundamentals,
but our defense has
been struggling a little
bit.”
Kraft caught fire in the
third quarter, knocking
down three 3-pointers as
Central outscored West
22-13 to pull away.
“On certain nights, we
just figure out who has the
hot hand and get the ball to
them,” Kraft said.
Sean Curran, who has
played more of a facilitator
role for the Knights of late,
scored 13 points in the second
half.
“The great thing about
this team is we have so
many guys that can shoot,”
he said. “As the point
guard, I have to recognize
that when guys are helping
on me, that’s leaving
someone open, and I need
to find the open guy.
“I could get more shots
up, but right now I don’t
see the need to with the
way guys are shooting.”
Quentin Villa added seven
points for the Warriors.
“We’ve been a lot more
competitive the second
half of the season, but by
no means is it translating
into wins,” Flaherty said.
“I don’t fault the kids’ effort,
but we have to be able
to do the things we talk
about doing and execute at
the end of a game at some
point.”
This Week In
KNIGHTS VARSITY
ATHLETICS
BOYS BASKETBALL
■Feb. ■ 21 – hosts Andrew,
6:30 p.m.
■Feb. ■ 25 – at Stagg, 6:30
p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
■Feb. ■ 20 – Class 4A Bloom
Regional final, 7 p.m.
■Feb. ■ 24 – Class 4A Stagg
Sectional semifinal, 7:30
p.m.
GIRLS BOWLING
■Feb. ■ 21-22 – IHSA State
Finals at The Cherry Bowl,
Rockford, TBA
BOYS SWIMMING
■Feb. ■ 22 – IHSA
Homewood-Flossmoor
Sectional, 9 a.m.
GIRLS INDOOR TRACK
AND FIELD
■Feb. ■ 25 – hosts LW
Central quad, 4:30 p.m.
WRESTLING
■Feb. ■ 20 – IHSA Individual
State Finals at State Farm
Center, Champaign, 4:30
p.m.
■Feb. ■ 21 – IHSA Individual
State Finals at State Farm
Center, Champaign, 1:30
p.m.
■Feb. ■ 22 – IHSA Individual
State Finals at State Farm
Center, Champaign, 9 a.m.
GRIFFINS VARSITY
ATHLETICS
BOYS BASKETBALL
■Feb. ■ 21 – at Lockport,
6:30 p.m.
■Feb. ■ 25 – hosts
Sandburg, 6:30 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
■Feb. ■ 21 – Class 4A
Shepard Regional final, 7
p.m.
■Feb. ■ 24 – Class 4A Stagg
Sectional semifinal, 7 p.m.
GIRLS BOWLING
■Feb. ■ 21-22 – IHSA State
Finals at The Cherry Bowl,
Rockford, TBA
BOYS SWIMMING
■Feb. ■ 22 – IHSA
Homewood-Flossmoor
Sectional, 9 a.m.
BOYS INDOOR TRACK
AND FIELD
■Feb. ■ 22 – Greg Foster
Invite at Proviso West, 9
a.m.
GIRLS INDOOR TRACK
AND FIELD
■Feb. ■ 26 – at Thornwood
Invite, 4:30 p.m.
WRESTLING
■Feb. ■ 20 – IHSA Individual
State Finals at State Farm
Center, Champaign, 4:30
p.m.
■Feb. ■ 21 – IHSA Individual
State Finals at State Farm
Center, Champaign, 1:30
p.m.
■Feb. ■ 22 – IHSA Individual
State Finals at State Farm
Center, Champaign, 9 a.m.
LINCOLN-WAY CO-OP
ATHLETICS
GIRLS GYMNASTICS
■Feb. ■ 21-22 – IHSA State
Finals at Palatine, 2 p.m.