Lockport uses transition to speed past Joliet Central

JOLIET — For most of the game Monday night, the Lockport boys basketball team played an aggressive, trapping zone defense against Joliet Central. That defense was able to cause havoc in the Central offense and produce turnovers that led to transition baskets, especially in the first half, that paced the Porters to a 63-47 nonconference win.

Joliet Central (2-20) came out hot, especially senior Erick Contreras. Contreras scored the Steelmen’s first nine points - on his way to a game-high 28 - and those gave his team a 9-8 lead midway through the first. Lockport (16-9) got a pair of free throws by Nedas Venckus for a 10-9 lead and never trailed again. Nojus Venckas, who had a team-high 16 points for the Porters, then made a free throw for an 11-9 lead and assisted on a fast-break basket by Nedas Venckus (8 points) to make it 13-9. Nojus Venckus added a basket late in the quarter to put the Porters up 18-13 at the end of the first.

“We got off to a good start,” Nojus Venckus said. “I was able to get some open shots, and I came out looking to shoot. I just called when I was open and my teammates did a good job of getting me the ball.

“Defense was what we wanted to do. We wanted to come out and be intense on defense and sprint down the floor when we got a turnover. Getting transition baskets early helped us build the lead.”

Lockport coach David Wilson substituted liberally, putting fresh legs on the floor to keep up the intensity. It paid off, as junior Trace Schaaf scored five of his 12 points in the second quarter. Schaaf also had five rebounds to lead the team. Nojus Venckus also scored five in the second, as did Contreras for Central, and the Porters took a 33-21 lead into halftime.

“We had a good balance in the first half of getting some 3-pointers in the half-court offense and getting transition baskets,” Wilson said. “The defense we play is kind of high-risk, high reward, but we have had our struggles in the half-court and getting points in the paint. Getting out and getting some transition baskets is a way for us to get some easy baskets.

“Trace Schaaf is a solid competitor. He has great length, and is never in a hurry. He has been very consistent for us, which is great for a junior.”

Joliet Central scored the first five points of the second half, but Lockport answered with five straight points of its own. After the Steelmen pulled to within 40-32 on a Contreras 3-pointer, Lockport got three straight baskets, two by Kajus Zubelis, to move back to a 44-32 lead en route to a 50-35 lead heading into the fourth.

Once again, Central opened the quarter with five straight points on a basket by Javontae McCann (8 points) and a 3-pointer by Contreras, making the score 50-40. Lockport’s Anthony Kosi then scored six of his 11 points and Izeyah Pruitt added four as the Porters closed the game with a 13-7 run.

“We looked a lot better than we did last game [a 64-25 loss to Joliet West],” Central assistant coach Dwayne Edmon said. “When we were able to slow down and play under control, we did well. We would get the lead down to 8-10, then all of a sudden it was back to 15. We’d get it back to 8-10, then it would go right back.

“This is a young team and they are still getting used to these situations. It might not show in our record, but we are playing better. Erick had a great night. He had more points tonight than we had as a team in our last game. Our guards played well. They just got tired and turned it over a few too many times.”