The Rochelle Hub varsity basketball team endured its second tough shooting night of the week on Friday, when the Sycamore Spartans came to town for an Interstate 8 battle.
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ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Hub varsity basketball team endured its second tough shooting night of the week on Friday, when the Sycamore Spartans came to town for an Interstate 8 battle.
Senior Tanner Lager stepped up for the Hubs in the second half, scoring 12 of his team-high 14 points on aggressive drives to the basket and soft-touch floaters. But a lackluster shooting performance overall, particularly from the free-throw line, was enough to cripple Rochelle in a 50-37 loss to the Spartans. The Hubs (2-5, 1-1 Interstate 8) went 7-for-18 on free throws.
“We have to get better ball movement in order to get more guys going to the rim,” head coach Tim Thompson said. “We’re doing a lot of standing around and rather than making the extra pass, we’re sitting around figuring out how do we get our own shots. We’re not being a good team right now. We constantly talk about giving up good shots for great shots, but we’re not moving the ball from side to side. If we can do that, then we’ll get better looks at the rim.”
Both teams struggled to score the ball in the first quarter, with seniors Noah Brown and Ryan Simmons each hitting 3-pointers for Rochelle’s only field goals of the period. Sycamore’s Tyler York was the go-to scorer for the Spartans, converting two triples and knocking down a mid-range jumper for eight of his team-leading 12 points. Junior forward Raul Aguirre worked down low for two layups in the second quarter for the Hubs, who trailed 24-14 at halftime.
“This is one time where we collectively have to look in the mirror and we have to change,” Thompson said. “We have to figure out where we’re going to hang out hats so when we have a night where we’re not making shots, we can still find a way to be successful. Our kids have to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves, ‘What can I sacrifice for this team? Am I going to sacrifice a little of myself offensively, or are we going to continue being selfish?’”
With Aguirre in foul trouble for Rochelle during the second half, Sycamore went to its starting forward Sam Stoner, who made a 3-pointer and a layup at the rim for five of his 11 points to extend the Spartan lead. While the Hubs struggled from the free-throw line on Friday, Sycamore fared a little better, going 9-for-17 in the fourth quarter and 13-for-22 overall. Simmons finished with 11 points for the Hubs, who’ve lost four of their last five games.
“Tanner, Ryan and Adam [Kemp] have to be scoring in double figures every night,” Thompson said. “They’re not getting that right now and we’re missing a lot of shots, but I feel that the shots are in their range. They don’t have confidence right now, but once they start seeing the ball go in, they’ll have more confidence and the game will come easier to them. The question is figuring out how to instill that confidence. They have to believe it and right now, they don’t.”