While Hubs varsity basketball coach Tim Thompson said he’d like his team to score more consistently in the half-court offense, the Rochelle boys had no problem taking down the Mendota Trojans this past Saturday and winning their seventh game in eight tries.
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ROCHELLE — While Hubs varsity basketball coach Tim Thompson said he’d like his team to score more consistently in the half-court offense, the Rochelle boys had no problem taking down the Mendota Trojans this past Saturday and winning their seventh game in eight tries.
Behind 21 points from junior Johnny Beck and a flurry of Mendota turnovers, the Hubs continued their winning ways on their home floor, defeating the Trojans 58-40 and improving to 10-5 on the season. Rochelle will host LaSalle-Peru on Friday, Jan. 12 for its third Northern Illinois Big 12 West contest of the year.
“They made a lot of unforced errors and that was fortunate for us because we weren’t shooting the ball all that well,” Thompson said. “We looked a step slow but you’re going to have nights like that… About 35 to 40 percent of the game is going to take place in set offensive-type situations and we have to be crisper in those situations.”
Saturday’s game was Rochelle’s first since finishing 3-1 at the E.C. Nichols Holiday Classic at Marengo Community High School over the holiday break. The Hubs held a sizeable lead for nearly the entire contest against Mendota, and Rochelle received an offensive boost from senior Noah Griffith, who scored 11 points and made three 3-point shots.
“I didn’t think Noah was going to be one of my top three scorers this year, but he’s worked so hard on his shot and he has a gorgeous-looking shot right now,” Thompson said. “He’s shooting with confidence, and I think Noah playing individual sports like golf and tennis really shows when he shoots the ball. He can really focus on knocking down his shots.”
Rochelle is 2-0 in the NIB-12 West so far, and the Hubs will be looking to remain unbeaten in the conference when they face the Cavaliers on Friday.