Lockport starts and stays hot in lopsided win over Bradley-Bourbonnais

LOCKPORT – There’s not much to say about Lockport’s 57-24 win over Bradley-Bourbonnais Thursday night other than, “The Porters are pretty dang good.”

The game was a rout from the onset with Lockport going up 21-3 in the first eight minutes and it didn’t get much more competitive from there. It was the kind of performance that explains the Porters' 19-3 overall record and 8-1 record in the Southwest Suburban Conference.

“We really just focused in on our defense,” Lockport senior Lucy Hynes said. “Our press breaker was working really well in the first half. That opened up the opportunity to jump off and go in for steals which fed into the rest of our game.”

The game could’ve been even more lopsided. Hynes was on the bench for long stretches in the second and fourth quarters with most of the regulars resting the bulk of the final period. She made the most of her minutes, though, scoring 15 points with six rebounds and five steals.

The Porters were 13-0 to start the season before dropping three of their next five. Thursday was their fourth consecutive win since that stretch and their most one-sided win since a 53-29 win over Riverside-Brookfield on Dec. 18.

It looked like it would go that direction early as the Boilermakers made just one field goal in the first quarter.

It was 9-3 and Hynes was scoreless when she scored on a layup. She then completed back-to-back steals and scores with a free throw and a tip-in for a 9-0 run all by herself with 1:42 left in the opening period. She also dished the assist to Addison Way, who made it 21-3 entering the second.

The Porters continued to dominate the Boilermakers defensively in the second quarter, holding them without a field goal for the opening three minutes of the second. Credit Bradley-Bourbonnais for not quitting, though, as they managed an 8-2 run to cut the deficit to 27-12.

It didn’t last as Lockport went on a 6-2 run to respond and led 33-14 entering the locker room.

It’s often very easy for teams with big halftime leads to come out flat in the third. Lockport coach Darien Jacobs ensured that you’ll never see that sort of thing out of the Porters.

“My big thing ever since I was playing is that the first three minutes of the third quarter are the most important part of the game,” Jacobs said. “The players have taken that to heart. Our senior leaders have bought into that and everyone on the floor knows that’s our time.”

It was certainly the Porters' time on Thursday. By the time that three-minute mark was reached, the Porters were up 21 points as Alaina Peetz (eight points, six rebounds) and Rowan McCarter (six points, four rebounds, two steals) kept up the pressure.

Ten of 12 players on the Lockport roster scored as the game moved to a running clock in the final period.

For Bradley-Bourbonnais (3-14, 0-8) it was another rough setback. They haven’t won a game since Dec. 28 against Momence. Abby Bonilla led the way Thursday with seven points as the Boilermakers continue to search for answers as the season goes on.

“We played a really good team that’s ranked in the state,” coach Kevin Maciejewski said. “They’re a top three team in our conference and we knew that going in. They’re well coached, have high IQ basketball players and it showed tonight.”