Boys Basketball: Lockport learns valuable lesson
By Tina Akouris takouris@suntimes.com January 8, 2013 7:54PM
Updated: February 10, 2013 5:47PM
Lockport coach Lawrence Thompson thinks his team learned a valuable lesson from competing in the Pontiac Tournament over the Christmas break.
West Aurora whipped the Porters 69-22 in the first round. It served as a valuable lesson.
“West Aurora was very intimidating and very well coached,” Thompson said. “We got intimidated, gave up and we didn’t have any hustle. I told the kids it was the first time in a long time that I had a team that quit.”
The Porters lost by just six points the next day against Waukegan, effectively bouncing themselves from the tournament with their second loss.
“We had a little discussion and we didn’t quit the next (round) against Waukegan, but they beat us and we got outexecuted in the last three minutes of the game,” Thompson said. “I worked my kids on what we could do to get better.”
Lockport had time to regroup. The Porters were able to dominate Lincoln-Way Central 53-32 on Friday night in just their second home game of the season.
“The biggest thing was getting them to have confidence,” Thompson said. “Our record may be 5-9, but we focus on the positive — that we’re 3-1 in (the SouthWest Suburban Blue) conference and 2-0 at home.”
Lockport forward David Robinson is relieved to put the Pontiac Tournament behind him.
“Pontiac is over, and we still have a good record in the conference and we want to keep that up,” Robinson said. “We just wanted to come out and make sure we wouldn’t lose (to Lincoln-Way Central).”
Joliet West bits
Tigers coach Luke Yaklich said senior guard Morris Dunnigan has been offered a scholarship by Vincennes University (Ind.). Dunnigan is starting the second half of the season strong after making the all-tournament team at Pontiac. Dunnigan is averaging 18 points per game.
Yaklich also noted former West standout Remy Roberts-Burnett, a sophomore guard at Western Illinois, has helped the Leathernecks to a 12-3 record.
Roberts-Burnett, who has played in seven games for the Leathernecks, is averaging 4.6 points. He also has four steals and two blocks.
