Jaden Boe’s big shots lead Minooka past Joliet Central

MINOOKA — It’s always a bonus for a basketball team if it has a player that wants the ball in pressure-packed moments. It’s an even bigger bonus if that player tends to come through in those moments.

Senior guard Jaden Boe is that player for Minooka, and he showed why Friday night in a 45-41 Southwest Prairie Conference win over a feisty Joliet Central squad.

Joliet Central (2-14, 1-6) took a 41-40 lead with 2:00 remaining on a basket by James Lee (11 points), but Boe answered with a 3-pointer with 1:48 left to put Minooka ahead 43-41. It was second 3-pointer of the fourth quarter for Boe, who finished with 11 points. He opened the period with a 3-pointer to put the Indians (10-8, 3-4) ahead 40-37.

“I always want the ball in tight spots,” Boe said. “I’ve been through times like those before, and I think I know how to handle it.

“It’s nice that my teammates have the confidence to look for me in tight spots. Every team needs a go-to guy and I guess that’s me for us this year.”

Minooka coach Brett Hespell, a former assistant under Central coach Lawrence Thompson, Jr. while both were at Lockport, is happy his team had Boe to look for late.

“Jaden really stepped up and hit some big shots,” Hespell said. “He’s a senior and has been through some wars. When you get into a game like this, you need seniors to take control and get the team going.”

The Indians had no problem getting themselves going early, as they opened the game on an 11-1 run. Boe started things off with a 3-pointer, while both Brady Hairald (team-high 12 points) and Zane Caves, who led the club with five rebounds, each had four points. Joliet Central, though, did not waver and finished the quarter by scoring the last five points on a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws by Erick Contreras.

The two teams played even for the first half of the second quarter and Minooka owned an 18-13 lead. Again Joliet Central rallied. Michael Stokes and James Lee each made a free throw before Jaden Poplawski hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 18. There were ties at 20 and 22 before Minooka’s Luke Page hit a pair of free throws to send the Indians into halftime with a 24-22 lead.

Joliet Central took its first lead since they led 1-0 when Bernal Fox (team-high 12 points) hit a pair of free throws with 2:16 left in the third to put the Steelmen ahead 34-33. After a bucket by Minooka’s Nate Gonzalez, Centrals Thomas Jemillo hit a 3-pointer for a 37-35 Steelmen lead. Jordan Freeman made a pair of free throws with 0:44 left to tie it and neither team scored the rest of the quarter.

“We were very competitive tonight,” Thompson said. “The kids were able to see the results of the hard work they have done since Christmas. I was very proud of the way they didn’t get down on themselves when they fell behind 6-8 points. They kept battling and coming back and did everything but win.

“We took care of the ball much better in the second half. We did have a couple of unforced turnovers, and when that happens in a close game, it hurts. But, we showed a lot of patience and execution tonight. We just need a little bit more of both to put us over the top.”

Minooka forced 11 turnovers in the first half and 17 for the game. It was the defensive effort that impressed Hespell.

“We didn’t play very good defense the last three games of the York Tournament,” he said. “We made that a point of emphasis during practice, and it’s a good thing we did.

“Give a lot of credit to Joliet Central. They were very physical and scrappy, which is exactly what I expect from Coach Thompson. Offensively, it was just one of those nights for us, but we did enough to get the win.”