Top-seed DePaul, newcomer Homewood-Flossmoor cruise in opening round

Defending champion and top-seed DePaul Prep left no doubt that it is the team to beat at the 94th annual Pontiac Holiday Tournament with its 75-31 victory over St. Charles North on Monday.

Newcomer Homewood-Flossmoor made its presence felt with a decisive 99-60 win over Bloomington in the final game of the top bracket.

Fourth-seed New Trier also claimed victory and Joliet West pulled a mild upset in the tournament opener.

DePaul 75, St. Charles North 31

A 19-1 second-quarter difference for the Rams pretty much ended any doubt in the eventual outcome. DePaul, which led 15-6 after the first quarter, pushed the advantage to 34-7 by halftime.

Rykan Woo led DePaul (12-1) with 20 points. Rashaun Porter contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds. Ten Rams made the scoring column.

Rykan Woo of DePaul Prep scored 20 points to lead the Rams in their PHT opener against St. Charles North. (Erich Murphy/Bingo Magic Sports)

Cooper Mellican scored 6 points to pace the North Stars (6-8).

Homewood-Flossmoor 99, Bloomington 60

Homewood-Flossmoor relied on a suffocating defense in dismantling Bloomington 99-60. The Vikings found a groove midway in the first period and put up 22, 28 and 31 points in the first three quarters.

Darrius Hawkins goes in for two of his game-high 29 points as he led Homewood-Flossmoor to a 99-60 win over Bloomington in the opening round of the Pontiac Holiday Tournament. (Erich Murphy/Bingo Magic Sports)

Darrius Hawkins poured in 29 points to lead the Vikings (11-0). Jayden McDonald added 16 points and was followed by John Brown IV with 14 and Jeffrey Cade with 13 points.

Dallas Marshall paced Bloomington (5-7) with 24 points. Brock Holz had 13.

Joliet West 60, OPRF 57

Oak Park-River Forest made it close but Joliet West was able to hang on for a 60-57 victory in the opening game of the tournament.

Luke Grevengoed of Joliet West tries to gain control of the ball in the Tigers’ 60-57 win over Oak Park-River Forest in the first game of the 94th Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Monday. (Erich Murphy/Bingo Magic Sports)

The Tigers led early and held double-digit advantages only to have the Huskies fight back each time.

Deven Triplett tallied 23 points for Joliet West (7-4), who had eight players make the scoring column. Trent Williams led Oak Park-River Forest (4-5) with a game-high 26 points. George Gray added 12 points.

New Trier 58, West Aurora 43

The fourth-seeded Trevians were consistent in their 58-43 win over West Aurora in the final game of the top bracket. New Trier scored 15 points in each of the first three periods in building a 45-34 lead. A 13-9 difference in the fourth created the final margin.

Danny Houlihan of New Trier gets pressured by Richard Bell of West Aurora. Houlihan had 23 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Trevians in a 58-43 win at the PHT. (Erich Murphy/Bingo Magic Sports)

Danny Houlihan recorded a double double with 23 points and 10 rebounds for New Trier (11-1). Denym Wallace scored 12 points. Travis Brown scored 14 and Antonio Higgins chipped in 10 for the Blackhawks (4-8).

Tuesday’s major bracket schedule will have Joliet West taking on DePaul at 1 p.m. The New Trier game with Homewood-Flossmoor is set for 11 a.m.

The consolation bracket quarters have Bloomington and West Aurora tipping of the day’s festivities at 8 a.m. Oak Par and St. Charles North will follow at 9:30 a.m.