Scores from TFS, TFN, Illiana Christian, Marian Catholic, and South Suburban College
By Mike Clark
LANSING, Ill. (January 19, 2023) – Jevon Warren doesn’t have to go online or look at TF North’s trophy case to learn about the Meteors’ rich basketball tradition. The senior guard has been hearing about it pretty much his whole life.
“My dad played high school here,” Warren said after the Meteors’ 61-40 win over Thornwood on Sunday at TF North’s Bob Hambric Shootout. “He’s the (assistant) coach. Coach Jason Warren, that’s my dad.”
That relationship leads to a lot of basketball talk, 24/7.
“He’s kind of hard on me,” Warren said of his father. “But it’s easy too because I have somebody at home I want to talk to about things I need to know and (want) help with.”
Truth be told, Warren doesn’t need a lot of advice these days. He’s the star for a TF North team that’s one of the south suburbs’ feel-good stories this winter. After winning only four games last season, the Meteors are 13-2 and on a five-game winning streak.
Jevon leads the Meteors in scoring (17.6 points a game), rebounds (8.5 per game), steals (2.2 per game) and blocks (3.0 per game).
He credits his dad with shaping his game.
“He helped me with, not my post game, but being involved and making moves,” Jevon said. “He’s a good shooter so he knows a lot about how to get my shot.”
But Warren isn’t just focused on the offensive side. The Meteors don’t have a lot of size, but they compensate with above-average quickness and effort on defense.
“If you don’t play defense, you can’t win games,” Warren said. “Defense is very important to us, to get boards and charges.”
Warren isn’t the only Meteor playing at a high level this season, according to coach Tim Bankston.
“Not just him, all of them,” Bankston said. “Every last one of those kids are living up to my expectations. They play hard and that’s all I can ask for.”
Warren missed his first five shots against Thornwood, but still finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. Chase Abraham had 14 points and six rebounds, while Jayden Small scored 10.
The Meteors also beat Orr 61-59 on Monday and downed Evergreen Park 54-44 on Tuesday. Warren scored 30 points and Abraham added 11 against Orr. In the Evergreen Park win, Warren (17 points) and Abraham (16 points) led the way.
TF South
Boys basketball
The Red Wolves are 10-10 after going 2-3 over a busy three-day stretch.
They traveled to Rockford for a MLK weekend tournament and split four games, beating Rockford Jefferson 69-59 and losing 75-73 in overtime to Rockford Guilford on Saturday, before beating Hononegah 65-50 and falling 64-58 to Batavia on Monday. South then lost 64-58 to Oak Lawn in a South Suburban crossover on Tuesday.
Brian Green paced the win against Jefferson, scoring 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Marqell Wilson added 18 points and Caleb Newman had 13 points (hitting 4 of 10 from 3-point range) and five rebounds.
Romello Ali hit 5 of 11 from 3-point range and scored 29 points against Guilford. He also had six rebounds, seven assists, 10 deflections, and five steals. Green scored 16, Newman had 15 points and four assists, and Wilson hit a key 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.
Newman scored 18 points, all on 3-pointers, in the win over Hononegah, Ali scored 16 and Wilson had 14 points.
Sam Townsend scored 20 points and Newman added 10 against Batavia.
Illiana Christian
Boys basketball
The Vikings moved to 9-2 overall and stayed unbeaten in the Greater South Shore with a 65-57 home win over Bishop Noll on Tuesday. Luke Van Essen led the way with 22 points, Kevin Corcoran had 14, and Zeke Van Essen added 13.
Girls basketball
Illiana rallied from a 34-18 halftime deficit to take the lead against Heritage Christian on Tuesday before falling 52-42 at home.
Cameron Evers had a team-high 12 points for Illiana (8-10), which also wrapped up Greater South Shore action with a 57-29 loss to Hanover Central on Monday.
Marian Catholic
Boys basketball
The Spartans are 15-6 overall and 5-4 in the East Suburban Catholic after falling 62-56 to Marist on Friday, beating Waubonsie Valley 55-48 in Moline on Saturday and knocking off Carmel 54-43 on Tuesday.
Marian made all 11 of its free throws against Waubonsie, with Tre Davis going 6-for-6 in the fourth quarter. Quentin Jones scored a game-high 21 points for the Spartans, Jonah Weathers had 11 and Davis added 10.
Jones led the way against Carmel with 13 points and Donovan Juzang scored 12.
Girls basketball
The Spartans’ winning streak is at 14 after wins over the hosts (48-29) and Lemont (70-38) at Saturday’s Coal City Shootout, a 51-27 victory over Rolling Meadows on Monday in the Coach Kipp Hoopsfest at Benet, and a 54-35 East Suburban Catholic win over Joliet Catholic on Tuesday.
Madison Davis scored 27 against Lemont and 15 against Coal City. Alainna Poisson added 11 points and Taylor Bolton had 10 in the latter win.
Davis had 20 more points, six assists, and three steals against Rolling Meadows. Poisson led the way against JCA with 13 points.
South Suburban College
Men’s basketball
Bulldogs coach John Pigatti picked up another honor this week when NJCAA Region IV announced his selection to its Hall of Fame.
Pigatti, who led SSC to an unbeaten NJCAA Division II national championship last season, is 480-88 in his 17th season at the school with 12 Region IV titles.
The Bulldogs are 17-3 after beating Bryant & Stratton (Wisconsin) 92-62 on Saturday and Camp Battlegrounds Prep 98-67 on Tuesday.
Nakyel Shelton led the way with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists against Bryant & Stratton, Damontae Taylor added 22 points and six rebounds, Chris Smith had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Delaware Hale scored 10.
Five Bulldogs scored in double figures on Saturday: Taylor with 21 points, Shelton (15), TF North grad Marlon Byrd (13), Smith (12) and Jalen Houston (12). Shelton and Smith both grabbed seven rebounds, while Byrd had six assists.
Related
- Bouncing back: Caleb Newman leads Red Wolves in points, rebounds after last year’s injury (January 13, 2023)
- Illiana baseball receives state championship rings (January 12, 2023)
- From middle school to starting for TFS basketball – Gigi Dillon’s double-double journey (January 11, 2023)
