Analysis: Yorkville Boys Basketball Picks Up Defensive Intensity

Things could not have started any worse Saturday night for the host Yorkville boys basketball team as Minooka stepped on the court on fire, knocking down its first six shots from beyond the arc and leading 14-5 after one quarter and 17-6 early in the second quarter following a trey by the Indians’ Darrin Myers.

Minooka sophomore Jacob Hogen connected on his first four shots–three of them 3-pointers–on his way to 13 first-half points. But Yorkville clawed its way back to within 29-25 at the break and then won the game 56-43 in the second half in large part due to a trapping defense that forced eight Indians’ turnovers in the third quarter while limiting the Indians to three points in the quarter.

“They were hot,” Yorkville coach Jerry Farber said of Minooka after the Indians shot 5-for-6 in the first quarter and 10-for-17 (including the six threes) for the half. “We knew they could shoot the ball if we gave them space, but on a couple of those ones we had a hand in their face and they still hit them.”

But in the second half the Foxes not only heavily contested most of Minooka’s shots, but used a trapping defense to take the ball away and even prevent too many attempts.

“I thought we adjusted pretty well defensively,” Farber said. “I thought our ‘22’ press caused a problem in the second half and made them uncomfortable. (Assistant) Coach Dan McGuire does the defense and he got the kids to really play defense in the second half.”

Yorkville forward Ryan Herron played well on both ends of the floor, leading the way with 14 points, but also blocking a pair of shots and pulling in six defensive rebounds on the other end of the floor. “We just kept the tempo up and wanted to force them into risky passes,” said Herron, a 6-foot-6 senior. “We played physical and the turnovers led to points, which led us to the win.”   

The Best Play: Foxes center Jordan Jones hauled in a long outlet “football” pass from guard Kyle Dhuse and went up strong to the rim for a dunk. Minooka’s 5-foot-9 Kevin Burkett did all he possibly could and even fouled the 6-4 Jones on the play, but he couldn’t stop him from throwing down the dunk that increased Yorkville’s lead to 48-38 with 1:42 left. The home fans erupted with noise and the outcome was sealed.

Sophomore Score: Yorkville 47, Minooka 43. Brett Assell led coach Mike Dunn’s squad to victory with 12 points, while the Indians’ sophomores were led by 11 points from Mark Fox.

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