Boys Basketball: Jordan Cannon’s efforts lead Downers South past Hinsdale South

Updated: January 28, 2012 12:15AM

By now, Downers Grove South’s Jordan Cannon is used to being an emergency starter.

The 6-2 junior guard is the Mustangs’ sixth man, but on several occasions has been called on to start when star guard Jerron Wilbut gets suspended for disciplinary reasons.

That was the case again Friday night. With Wilbut serving the first of a two-game suspension, Cannon stepped in and scored all of his 12 points in the second half to spark visiting Downers South to a 55-52 West Suburban Conference Gold Division victory over Hinsdale South in Darien.

“We know the things that happen to Jerron but we don’t let that get in our head,” Cannon said. “We just play through. We don’t pay attention to any of that stuff and we’re just happy to get the win tonight.”

It didn’t come easily. Hinsdale South (9-9, 3-4) led by as many as nine points in the second quarter before the Mustangs (14-4, 5-1) scored the last four points of the half to pull within 28-23.

Cannon had been a non-factor to that point, missing the only two shots he attempted. But he came alive after the break, sinking all six of his shots, including a transition layup off a steal from Jamall Millison that gave his team a 53-49 edge with 39 seconds left in the contest.

“The first half I wasn’t feeling anything,” Cannon said. “After that I went to the locker room…and I started getting the blood pumping. I just came out in the second half knowing I had to help my team out to get this win. We just had to keep playing through all of the mistakes.”

Cannon scored six of Downers South’s final 10 points, including the basket that put the Mustangs ahead to stay, 47-46, with 5:10 left.

“At the beginning of the year [Cannon] was starting,” Downers South coach Jay Baum said. “We talked to Jordan initially when we took him out and addressed it and we told him we consider him a starter. We have six starters so for him to come in is [not a surprise]. He’s not the same player that Jerron is, but it’s not a huge drop-off.”

Millison had 15 points and five assists and Kevin Honn added eight points and eight rebounds for Downers South, which had eight players score.

Brock Benson had 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals to lead Hinsdale South, which sank nine three-pointers and had a chance to send the game to overtime, only to see Jerry Stoltz’s 22-footer rim out at the buzzer.

Stoltz scored a game-high 17 points, including five treys, and Phil George added 15 points, but the Hornets were done in at the free-throw line, where they made only 3 of 10 attempts.

“I thought our guys executed very well, especially down the stretch,” Hinsdale South coach Vince Doran said. “We wound up getting good looks. At some point we’re going to step up and known those down and it will make all the difference.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our guys the way we executed. Unfortunately we didn’t make the free throws and do the little things that you need to do to win a game like that.”

For Downers South, which hasn’t trailed much this season, the game was a confidence boost for later in the season.

“This is a good wake-up call for us,” Cannon said. “We know what we can do without one of our best players on our team. Coming down the stretch down the road we know who to get the ball to at the end of the game or how to get the ball to whoever is hot.”

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