Boys Basketball: Spreading wealth works for Elgin against St Charles North

Updated: December 10, 2011 10:46PM

Elgin might not have the deepest team around, but the players who do see the court for the Maroons are all capable of making things happen.

A balanced attack was vital Saturday night as Elgin went on the road and notched a 53-41 Upstate Eight River victory at St. Charles North.

Senior standout Kory Brown filled up the stat sheet as usual, collecting 13 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and four assists. But Brown had plenty of help as senior Cortez Scott led the Maroons with 16 points and junior Arie Williams added 12 points and four steals.

“Teams might key in on me, but I have faith and trust in every last one of my teammates that they can help me out in some way,” Brown said.

The North Stars got some big contributions too as senior Kyle Nelson racked up 14 points and 10 rebounds and junior Quinten Payne totaled nine points and 13 rebounds. But those efforts weren’t enough to prevent St. Charles North (2-6, 1-2) from suffering its third straight loss.

A scheduling mix up led to an odd day for Elgin (6-1, 1-1), which loaded the bus around noon thinking the game started at 2:30 p.m. The actual tipoff was 6 p.m., meaning the Maroons had plenty of time to kill.

“We were just sitting in our gym laughing and throwing balls up from three-quarter court and having a little fun before heading home to get a bite to eat and take a nap,” Brown said.

The delay may have played a part in a sloppy first quarter that saw the North Stars claw to an 8-7 lead. Elgin pulled ahead in the second quarter and finally took command with an 11-3 run to close the third quarter.

Brown had only two points during the surge, but he played a leading role with several rebounds that led to fast-break assists. His pass to wide-open teammate Matt Andres with time winding down in the third resulted in an Andres three-pointer at the buzzer that gave the Maroons a 39-28 lead.

“They’re looking at (Brown) to play point guard at the next level,” Elgin coach Mike Sitter said. “He’s 6-foot-3 and he can handle it well enough. He tried to do a little too much on his own in the first half, and in the second half he found other people.”

The North Stars pulled within 43-39 with 4:20 remaining but they couldn’t come any closer as Elgin finished the game on a 10-2 run.

It was another disappointing outcome against a formidable opponent for St. Charles North, which made only 17-of-50 (34 percent) from the field and committed 20 turnovers.

“We’re executing and doing exactly what coach asks us in practice, but I don’t know what it is, when the ball goes up and it’s for real it’s not the same,” Nelson said. “We’ve got the skill, but that can only take you so far, especially against a good team like Elgin.”

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