ROCHELLE — Plano tried its hardest to slow down the Rochelle Hub varsity basketball team during Monday’s Interstate 8 Conference rematch. But the Reapers were unable to keep pace with the Hubs, who caught fire from distance in the second half and cruised to a 69-54 victory.

With senior Ryan Simmons initiating most of the offense from the point guard position, seniors Adam Kemp and Noah Brown created havoc from 3-point range, with Brown draining four of his team-high seven triples in the second half to finish with a team-leading 23 points. Kemp, who scored 13 points on Monday, drilled one triple in each of the last three quarters for the Hubs, who saw their five-point lead in the third quarter balloon far into double digits down the stretch.

“When Ryan’s bringing the ball up the court and he’s getting downhill, I can get ready on the wings and knock down shots,” Kemp said. “I feel like it’s working out really well. It’s a huge confidence booster for us and it raises the energy in the gym when we’re hitting shots. We see all of our fans going crazy and we know that and confidence is a big part of basketball. We have to stay locked in and continue having good practices so we can get ready for Ottawa on Friday.”

After falling 78-60 against Rochelle on Friday, Plano arrived for the rematch looking to slow the Hubs down, running several long offensive sets that took 30-plus seconds off the game clock. The Reapers successfully executed their strategy early, leading 8-7 after the first quarter. But Brown kickstarted the Hub offense in the second quarter, hitting two isolation 3-pointers and scoring on a stolen inbounds pass to give control of the Interstate 8 rematch back to Rochelle.

“We were locked in on defense and that was what kept us in the game during the first half,” Brown said. “Our defense has come together really well over the last few games and we’re learning how to correctly play weak-side defense. I think that’s been a huge adjustment for us.”

Leading 25-16 after the first half, Rochelle (15-9, 9-2 Interstate 8) overcame Plano’s slow pace and cracked the game open from 3-point range, with four players including sophomore Eli Luxton and junior David Gerber hitting triples from different spots on the floor. Defensively, Rochelle’s aggressive man-to-man approach helped contain Plano’s Josh Padilla, who struggled to find driving lanes after creating problems for the Hubs in Friday’s matchup.

Despite a valiant effort from Reaper senior Mason Accidentale, who finished with a game-high 25 points including 15 points during the second half, Rochelle grew its lead to as many as 19 points during the fourth quarter, where Brown buried three long-range triples to cap off an excellent shooting performance. The Hubs are now 10-1 over their last 11 games in 2022.

“It’s a huge confidence booster when I’m knocking down those shots, but more importantly, it boosts the confidence of my teammates too,” Brown said. “ The gym got loud and our tempo was really good tonight. Friday’s game against Ottawa will be one of our biggest games of the season and it’s going to be one of our toughest games of the season before the regional.”