YORKVILLE — Scoring less than 50 points likely meant the Rochelle varsity boys basketball team would fall on the road Tuesday against the Yorkville Foxes. Senior Kaleb Ackland made sure the Hubs wouldn’t fall into that trap.

Ackland led all scorers in the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference crossover, totaling 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting while finishing 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to help Rochelle push past Yorkville 62-50 and reach 13-16 on the season. After grabbing 10 rebounds against Geneseo on Monday, Ackland added four more rebounds Tuesday, and the senior has made an extended effort to stay active around the glass in the absence of junior teammate Seth Gould (knee).

“When Seth was with us, he and I were always down low battling for rebounds,” Ackland said. “When he’s not in the game, it’s on me to grab more boards. When Johnny [Beck] and I are in the game together, it seems that we’ll come down with the same rebounds, or I’ll come in and grab the ball when he’s boxing somebody out.”

The first half was typical for many matchups between Rochelle and Yorkville, as both teams grinded out possessions in search of much-needed baskets. The Foxes held a slim 13-10 lead after the first quarter before Rochelle cut the Yorkville advantage down to 22-21 by halftime.

“Coach [Tim] Thompson told us that, if the game was in the 40s, we probably wouldn’t be able to win,” Ackland said. “We needed to get out and score because they’re a really good defensive team and they struggle to score. We played really well together, we passed the ball and we were able to make shots.”

As Yorkville continued to misfire from the field, Rochelle ramped up its offensive production, as players including Ackland, junior Landan Martin and sophomore Garrett Burdin began knocking down 3-point baskets. The three Hubs combined to finish 8-for-17 from beyond the arc in the game, and by the end of the third quarter, Rochelle led Yorkville 41-35. Martin recorded 13 points and six assists on Tuesday, while Burdin had 10 points and six rebounds.

“My 3-point shots were going in and my teammates were getting me the ball,” said Ackland, who was honored as Rochelle’s Player of the Game after the win. “I made my free throws, and I’ve been struggling to shoot free throws this year for whatever reason. We were moving the ball really well and we had a lot of energy.”

Senior Johnny Beck added 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for the Hubs, who outscored Yorkville 21-15 in the fourth quarter and held the Foxes to 36 percent shooting in the game. Junior Austin Brown’s all-around effort included three points, six rebounds and four assists.