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ALGONQUIN – Marian Central followed a dud late Wednesday night with perhaps the most beautiful and efficient basketball it has played this season.
The Hurricanes hit six of their first seven shots, and made 18 of 25 field goals in the first half to subdue Jacobs, 67-52, in their Pool I game at the Jacobs’ Hinkle Holiday Classic on Thursday.
“We kept moving the ball. We played really good team basketball today, we weren’t selfish, we got our shots and played really good,” said 6-foot-5 Hurricanes forward Christian Bentancur, who scored 29 points. “Today was probably our best performance playing together, passing the ball, playing defense.”
Marian’s Cale McThenia set the tone with a 3-pointer for the game’s first basket. Four Hurricanes had multiple baskets in the first half. Marian (6-8) meets South Elgin in a Consolation A bracket game at 4:30 p.m. Monday.
“We were patient with our offense and we found the big guy (Bentancur),” said McThenia, who scored 10 points. “He’s always maneuvering out there. Just playing good team basketball. This is the best game we’ve played team-wise. We’re so good as a team when we play all together instead of individual stuff.”
Marian lost to Bartlett, 84-56, on Wednesday night.
“As a team we moved the ball, we found people, we played much better,” Hurricanes coach Charley Walsh said. “To bounce back from last night’s debacle. That’s the best we’ve played against a quality opponent all year. It excites me that we’re getting better.”
Bentancur was 11 of 13 in the first half. The lefty’s only two misses were right-handed attempts. Bentancur also gave Jacobs (2-10) trouble on top of the Hurricanes’ 1-3-1 half-court defense.
“The 1-3-1 with Christian on the top turned the tide. They didn’t have an answer for it,” Walsh said.
Michael Morris added 10 points, while Jayson Lange and Jake Giangreco each scored eight for Marian.
Jackson Martucci led the Golden Eagles with nine points, while Brett Schlicker added eight.
“Unfortunately we weren’t ready to go and compete,” Eagles coach Jimmy Roberts said. “Too many breakdowns. Against a good player like (Bentancur), that leads to easy baskets. Our inability to pass and catch the basketball compounded things.”
Marian Central 67, Jacobs 52
JACOBS (52)
Jackson 3 1-1 7, Martucci 2 4-4 9, Schlicker 2 2-2 8, Jonas 1 1-2 3, Ropoer 0 1-2 1, Destin 5 0-0 11, Owens 1 0-0 2, Orencia 1 0-1 2, Bonkoski 1 0-0 3, Guenther 1 1-2 4. Totalsa: 18 10-14 52
MARIAN CENTRAL (67)
Giangreco 4 0-0 8, Morris 4 1-2 10, Bentancur 11 7-10 29, McThenia 3 2-2 10, Lange 3 2-2 8, Yegge 0 0-0 0, Raso 1 0-0 2, Geils 0 0-0 0. Totals: 26 12-15 67.
Jacobs 15 10 13 14 – 52
Marian Central 19 21 15 12 – 67
3-point goals: Jacobs 6 (Schlicker 2, Martucci, Bonkoski, Destin, Guenther), Marian Central 3 (McThenia 2, Morris). Total fouls: Jacobs 10, Marian Central 18.