For Naperville Central, six is quickly becoming a magic number against Wheaton Warrenville South.
Twenty-two days after collectively hitting six triples in an 18-point victory over Wheaton Warrenville South, Naperville Central was at it again Wednesday night in Lisle during its postseason opener.
Behind four different players hitting from long distance, the ninth-seeded Redhawks were able to keep the eighth-seeded Tigers at arms length on their way to getting a 48-42 victory in a Class 4A Benet Regional Semifinal.
Senior James Kendrick was responsible for half of those three six-pointers for the Redhawks, highlighted by two triples amidst a run to end the first half.
“Coming into this game, we knew we were going to see zone because that’s what they’ve been playing all year,” said Kendrick, who had a game-high 15 points. “We knew that we were way bigger than them and we were going to have to pound the ball inside. And if we didn’t have anything, kick out and get open shots. I think we executed pretty well.”
Seeking the program’s first regional title since Drew Crawford was a senior in 2008-09, Naperville Central (16-11) faces 26-win Benet on Friday.
A year ago, the Redhawks beat the Redwings in overtime of the third-place game of the 2014 Hoops for Healing Tournament while the Redwings claimed a 26-point victory in a 2013 Class 4A regional final.
In a game that saw the lead change hands nine times in the first half, Kendrick’s first three-pointer gave Naperville Central a 18-15 lead with 2:48 left in the first half.
The Redhawks would never trail again.
“We were really concerned with how they would attack or how they would defend us,” Naperville Central coach Pete Kramer said of the Tigers. “Nick (Kramer) was real big against them in the first game we played them. The second game, James and Nick both hurt them. And in this game, Matthew (Meier), Nick and James and (Justin) Jopes – they all got the green light out there. If they get open looks, they’re free to take good shots.”
Alongside Kendrick in double figures for the Redhawks was senior center Harry Hallstrom and senior guard Matthew Meier.
Hallstrom, taking advantage of the smaller Tigers, poured in 14 points and seven rebounds while Meier finished with 10 points.
“Especially against Wheaton South, we know they play zone almost every time we play them,” Hallstrom said. “So with me being at that high post and I think my teammates getting me the ball into the high post – I’m able to turn and kind of either drive and kick out to a corner for a three or down to another big for kind of like a post shot right there. I think that worked out well for us.”
As a team, Naperville Central converted on 18 of its 23 free-throw attempts while Wheaton Warrenville South was just three-of-four from the charity stripe on the night.
With Jeran Simpson on his way to a team-high 16 points for the Tigers, including four second-half three-pointers, the Redhawks’ ability to hit from the perimeter and from the line proved large.
A 7-0 run for the Redhawks, a run that saw Hallstrom score five points, followed Simpson’s second triple while Simpson’s final trey was answered again.
After Simpson cut the Redhawks’ lead to 34-31 midway through the fourth, a Meier free throw and a Hallstrom three-point play helped the Redhawks seize control again.
“They were (big),” Hallstrom said of the Redhawks’ free throws. “They definitely helped us, I think, maintain that six-point, eight-point lead and not let them kind of climb back into it and take that lead from us.”
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