Indians rolling along after Illini Prairie victory

By Erich Murphy

Bingo Magic Sports

It seemed like the players were taking turns. First, it was Aden Brummel, and then it was Amazin King. Cayden Masching got into the act and before the audience knew it, Pontiac was on track to hit the century mark.

Aden Brummel of Pontiac drives the lane against St. Thomas More. Brummel scored 9 points in the first quarter of the PTHS victory. (Erich Murphy/Bingo Magic Sports)

The Indians fell short of reaching triple digits on the scoreboard, but they still cruised to comfortable 83-54 victory over St. Thomas More in an Illini Prairie Conference boys’ basketball game at PTHS Tuesday.

This is the second straight blowout for the Tribe, who overwhelmed Rockridge on Saturday. PTHS has gone 4-1 since the holiday tournament.

“The kids are sticking to the game plan,” PTHS head coach Matt Starker said. “Defensively, we’re trying to bring some energy from the get-go and get some pressure. They’re executing really well, getting some turnovers and some transition buckets.”

Amazin King goes in for a layup for Pontiac. King scored 17 points as the Tribe rolled past St. Thomas More Tuesday. (Erich Murphy/Bingo Magic Sports)

King drilled a 3-pointer 18 seconds into the game and the Indians led the rest of the way. Brummel dropped the next seven points for Pontiac and King scored on two breaks for a 14-4 lead just three minutes into the game.

The margin reached 28-14 by the time the quarter closed. The lead grew to 47-31 by halftime and stood at 76-44 through three periods, putting the running clock into play.

Scoring was a matter of taking turns for the Indians. Brummel scored nine points in the first quarter, and King and Masching each tallied eight markers. Henry DeYoung netted seven points in the second to lead the Tribe. Evan Wolf dropped 11 points in the third frame.

Evan Wolf of Pontiac lands at the free throw line area as he penetrated the St. Thomas More defense. Wolf came off the bench to score 19 points to lead the Indians to an IPC victory. (Erich Murphy/Bingo Magic Sports)

When it was all over, 11 players had scored at least one point. Wolf finished with 19 points and King added 17. Masching scored 12 points with DeYoung chipping in 11. Brummel finished with 9 and Evinn Tracy had 5 points.

Pontiac is now 13-4 on the season and 2-0 in Illini Conference play. The Tribe went 1-4 in a five-game stretch at Christmas time. PTHS seems to be coming out of that funk, if you want to call it that considering who the Indians played.

“Going through that stretch at the holidays, playing bigger schools and that level of competition, we learned a lot about ourselves and what we needed to make ourselves ready for the rest of the season,” Starker said. “They’re in a good place and we’re proud of how they’re playing. We’re going to continue to work to get better, but we’re in good rhythm right now.”

Pontiac’s Bryce Robison secures a rebound for the Indians in their Illini Prairie win over St. Thomas More. (Erich Murphy/Bingo Magic Sports)

Finding that groove is important as the season heads into its final few weeks. PTHS will be facing stern tests while looking to boost its momentum for a postseason that could be promising.

“We just started conference play and we’re looking at that one stretch at a time,” Starker said, noting that Central Catholic is the next concern. PTHS will host the Saints Friday.

“I think we’re in a good place and our kids are playing well together and buying into what we’re doing. There’s also plenty to keep improving on and keep going to finish out the season.”

Pontiac has 10 games left on the regular-season schedule, and then will compete at the Seneca Section complex with a chance to play at home in the supersectional.

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