BRADLEY — Since the calendar flipped to 2025, few boys basketball teams around have been as hot as Bradley-Bourbonnais. Behind another monster night from their all-state standout Nick Allen, a red-hot shooting night from Gavin Kohl and a fierce defensive intensity led by Ty Dangerfield and his four steals, the Boilermakers topped Lincoln-Way West 56-35 at Donald K. Turner Gymnasium Friday.
The Boilers improved to 12-4 on the season and 5-1 in the SouthWest Suburban Conference with their third home win by 20-plus points in the last six days, including two in conference play.
After a tough 1-2 stretch at the State Farm Holiday Classic to round out 2024, the timing of their hot streak couldn’t have come at a better time.
“We played [well] in Bloomington but we had two tough losses at the end of games,” Kohl said. “We practiced, we came back and these wins are huge. These conference wins are huge; it’s any given night in our conference, so it’s special whenever you can get one.”
Head coach Ryan Kemp credited the energy brought by the crowd, whether it was the Red Surge student section or the fans in the balcony, for helping them come out with an intensity that saw them build a robust 32-17 lead by halftime.
“You know you’re gonna get everyone’s best game [in the conference],” Kemp said. “I just thought our crowd tonight, our environment was unbelievable, and that really helps our guys. I could feel it all night.”
Allen got going early and often in that first half, finishing it 6-for-8 from the floor with 13 of his game-high 23 points. On the night, he was an efficient 11-for-14 from the floor and added 10 rebounds for a double-double.
In his fourth varsity season, Kemp said that Allen’s found his voice on the floor this year, acting like a quarterback with his play calls on the offensive end when he sees how a defense is setting up to try and stop him.
“When Nick wants it, just tell us when you can get a touch in,” Kemp said. “That’s where we’re going the rest of this year, and when you can do that, it’s no different than Peyton Manning calling an audible out there.”
Much like he did in Tuesday’s 57-31 win over Andrew, where he buried a pair of 3-pointers as part of a 12-0 run to open the third quarter, Kohl came out of the halftime break on fire Friday. He again hit a pair of quick 3-pointers out of the gate to lead a powerful run, as the Boilers scored the first nine points in the half.
Allen and Kohl have played together since they were in sixth grade, and for Allen, seeing Kohl, who finished with 17 points Friday, having his breakout moment on the hardwood this year has been fun to see.
It’s a lot of fun," Allen said. “He’s been playing great.”
As much as Allen and Kohl sparked the offense, it was another senior, Dangerfield, who sparked the defense. At the top of the Boilers' full-court trap, Dangerfield recorded three of his four steals in the first quarter and helped the team force 20 Warriors turnovers.
While Allen and Kohl have been varsity mainstays for several years, classmates of theirs like Dangerfield and forward Timmy Pfrommer have had to bide their time behind a loaded class the Boilers graduated last year. And as they’ve been handed larger roles, Kohl’s loved to see his classmates embrace them.
“It’s really something special,” Kohl said. “A guy like Ty Dangerfield, a guy like Timmy, they’re seniors who didn’t get a lot of time last year. But this year has been totally different and they’ve totally embraced it.”
STAT BOOK
Allen totaled 23 points, 10 boards, two assists and four blocks. Kohl added five rebounds and assists apiece and a steal to his 17 points. Kobe Lawrence added six points, a rebound, an assist and a steal.
UP NEXT
The Boilers will look to extend their win streak to four when they visit Lincoln-Way Central at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
https://daily-journal.com/sports/boys-basketball-boilers-stay-hot-with-blowout-of-lincoln-way-west/article_0854e734-cfd5-11ef-b696-e7d5fba14a36.html