ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Middle School eighth grade boys basketball team opened the North Central Junior Conference tournament with a first-round matchup against Belvidere Central on Thursday evening. Rochelle took the lead late in the fourth quarter, with Riley Smith scoring on a layup under the basket to help the Royals beat the Thunder 51-49.

Eliot Kessen scored a team-high 20 points for the Royals, who will advance to the tournament semifinals on Saturday. Smith finished with 17 points, while Mason Lopez added nine points on three 3-pointers made. Nolan Zick chipped in five points to aid the Rochelle offense in the opening-round victory.