The Rochelle Hubs felt confident in their ability to apply pressure on defense during their nonconference varsity basketball game against the Oregon Hawks on Tuesday.
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ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Hubs felt confident in their ability to apply pressure on defense during their nonconference varsity basketball game against the Oregon Hawks on Tuesday.
Pressuring off of the inbounds pass and swarming to the ball in the full-court setting, Rochelle wore down the Hawks during the second half, where the Hubs nearly doubled up Oregon en route to an 83-56 victory. Rochelle (5-10, 1-2 Interstate 8) held a five-point halftime lead before taking control with its defense, generating deflections and forcing turnovers that led to points on the other end. Sophomore forward Brody Bruns scored 24 points to lead all players in the win.
“We knew we wanted to play fast and we wanted to press for a long time,” said senior guard Elijah Harley, who finished with 16 points on Tuesday. “We knew they were a pressable team and we executed our press pretty well. We have to stay humble and keep putting the work in.”
Oregon showed mostly zone defense in the first half, where Bruns drilled a 3-pointer and pulled up for a mid-range jumper to score Rochelle’s first five points of the evening. With the Hawks aiming to keep the Hubs away from the basket, Rochelle sought out shots on the perimeter, where senior guard Carson Lewis drilled a pair of triples to help the Hubs build an 18-11 lead.
“We’ve been prioritizing sharing the ball and getting good looks,” Harley said. “They were running a zone, so we knew that we could skip the ball around and find our shots.”
Oregon’s Benny Olalde willed the Hawks back into the game during the second quarter, where the junior guard buried two 3-pointers and used quick dribble drives to finish a pair of layups at the rim. Olalde scored a team-high 18 points for the Hawks, who clawed to within five points after a cold shooting quarter from the Hubs, who remained ahead of Oregon 36-31 at halftime.
Looking to retake the lead, Oregon transitioned into man-to-man defense during the second half. But the switch ultimately doomed the Hawks, as Rochelle utilized an assortment of cuts near the baseline and into the painted area to run its lead into double figures. Bruns also took advantage of the change, using his 6-foot-5 frame to finish five third-quarter shots under the basket. Harley benefited as well, drawing contact on multiple aggressive moves to the hoop.
“It was tricky to make some of those cuts in the first half because they were playing zone,” said Harley, who went 3-for-3 from the free-throw line during the third quarter. “They switched to man because they were down and we ran the plays that we run in practice all of the time.”
Rochelle carried a 61-45 lead into the fourth quarter, where the Hubs sealed their win with a flurry of 3-pointers including two from freshman guard Cohen Haedt, who put home two triples from the corner in front of the Rochelle bench. Haedt, who scored a career-high 11 points and made three 3-pointers in the victory, hasn’t let being the smallest player on the court slow him down. In fact, the 5-foot-6 freshman has seen his playing time increase throughout the season.
“My team helps me through the ups and down,” Haedt said. “My teammates were making good passes and giving me open looks. I’m hoping to bring energy to the team this season. I feel like I’m more of an outside threat, but I can also pass the ball and give my teammates open looks.”
Lewis finished with nine points on three 3-pointers for the Hubs, who will travel west for the Pecatonica MLK Tournament, which begins on Saturday. Rochelle will face Harlem in the first round, with the winner advancing to battle either Pecatonica or UIC Prep in the semifinals.