Boys Basketball: Andrew answers call vs Lincoln-Way North

Updated: February 10, 2012 11:11PM

Andrew had no trouble with Lincoln-Way North one month ago on the Phoenix’s court.

Friday night, though, North put up a strong showing early and looked poised to make a run to hand Andrew its second loss of the season.

No. 10 Andrew used a 10-2 run to open the second half to fend off its SouthWest Suburban Red foe en route to a 60-34 win in Tinley Park.

“I think we got their attention at halftime, and they came out with a little sense of urgency,” Andrew coach Mike O’Halloran said of his halftime speech to his team.

The talk must have worked as the Thunderbolts (19-1, 10-1) outscored North 37-16 in the second half.

That was a turnaround from the early going, when the Phoenix (7-18, 3-8) was hanging tough with Andrew. North seemed undaunted at facing its highly ranked opponent away from home.

That was made clear on Daryle Morgan’s steal and emphatic dunk over Andrew’s Glorind Lisha late in the first quarter. His subsequent free throw gave the Phoenix the lead after one.

The Thunderbolts were without starting forward Jawad Adekoya, who sat out with a sprained ankle, an injury he suffered one week earlier in a win over Stagg.

With Lisha struggling, Jubril Adekoya (10 rebounds) picked up the slack, scoring 13 of his game-high 19 points in the first half. His three-pointer early in the second period sparked a 9-0 Andrew run, and the T-bolts led by five at the break.

The rest of the team came alive in the second half. Center Tyler Hook scored 10 of his 12 points after halftime. His thunderous one-handed dunk with three minutes to go put the exclamation mark on Andrew’s victory.

“I was pleased with my team’s effort and energy level. They came out from the tip and played hard, played with heart and intensity,” North coach John Terry said.

“But you’ve got to give Andrew credit. They have phenomenal players. Just down the line, they are very, very deep and they have outstanding senior leadership.”

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