ROCHELLE — A dominant second quarter allowed the Rochelle Hub varsity basketball team to score another decisive victory on Wednesday, when the Hubs hosted a nonconference matchup against Stillman Valley.

With the Cardinals missing one of their best players, Rochelle took the early lead before outpacing Stillman Valley 29-10 in the second quarter to more than double the Cardinal offensive total in the first half. Rochelle converted 15 field goals including six 3-pointers in the first half, cruising to a 79-45 victory on Wednesday.

Senior Adam Kemp led the Hubs with 14 points and four triples made, while senior Noah Brown added 13 points and three triples of his own. All but two players entered the scorebook for Rochelle in the victory.

“We knew they were missing their best player, but I didn’t think we were very locked in during the first quarter,” senior Cooper Hasz said. “They showed up early and we knew we had to stay on top of our game. When the second quarter came around, we did exactly that. We’re on a great run right now.”

Kemp fueled the Rochelle offense during the first half, sinking three 3-pointers in the second quarter while Hasz battled down low, scoring on three layups under the basket in the first half. The 6-foot-5 forward Hasz, who came off the bench earlier this season but has since become a starter, has seen his role increase significantly since his junior season, when he was out of the rotation and primarily playing mop-up minutes.

“I feel like I put in a lot of work over the offseason,” Hasz said. “My teammates and I have worked really hard since the end of last season… Our defense has improved in every practice and it’s been great to see.”

Rochelle (16-9, 9-2 Interstate 8) led 52-24 entering the third quarter, where senior Tanner Lager and junior David Gerber each canned 3-pointers from the wings to preserve the Hub lead. Gerber, who finished with eight points in the victory, has also earned increased playing time during the second half of the season.

“We’re in a groove right now and we’re coming for Ottawa on Friday,” Gerber said. “We’re a whole team and we’re not a one-man show. We all love each other and I think we’re going to keep succeeding. I didn’t play much at the start of the season, but I began working harder during practice and when I had chances, I focused on playing good defense and coach [Tim] Thompson has started trusting me a lot more.”

Brown did most of his damage in the third quarter, burying two long-range triples and a layup in the third quarter. With the Hubs leading 71-39 entering the fourth quarter, Rochelle looked to feed senior forward Zach Sanford, who banked home three low-post shots for all six of his points on Wednesday.

Lager scored nine points and hit two triples for Rochelle, while Hasz totaled seven points and junior Raul Aguirre added eight points. Senior Ryan Simmons and sophomore Eli Luxton each chipped in six points for the Hubs.