Boys Basketball: Ben Moore delivers as Bolingbrook slips past Joliet West
By Dick Goss dgoss@stmedianetwork.com January 11, 2013 11:52PM
Bolingbrook's Prentiss Nixon (22) looks to pass over Joliet West's Carl Terrell (3) and Tim Smith. | Larry Kane~For Sun-Times Media
Updated: February 14, 2013 6:37AM
No. 2 Joliet West was on the verge of completing a tension-packed comeback.
Bolingbrook’s Ben Moore had been having an off night.
But when the chips were down, the visiting No. 1 Raiders turned to their 6-foot-8 senior, and he delivered.
With 3.3 seconds remaining and West leading 65-64 in Friday’s SouthWest Suburban Blue showdown, the 6-foot-8 Moore used 6-6 Kenny Williams’ pick, went up and cleanly grabbed the long and perfect inbounds pass from Kendall Guyton outside the top of the key. He took two dribbles down the lane and laid in the game-winner as time expired for a 66-65 Raiders victory.
“Coach (Rob Brost) drew up a great play during the timeout,” Moore said. “He knew the time that was left and told me exactly how many dribbles I could take and still beat the time.
“It was a little nerve-racking, those last couple of seconds. But I’m very happy now.”
The last-second heroics spoiled West’s bid to turn the tables. The Tigers (9-5, 3-2) led 21-13 after one quarter. Bolingbrook (12-4, 4-1) was up 31-28 at halftime, 50-45 late in the third quarter and 61-51 midway through the fourth before the incomparable Morris Dunnigan led a West charge that featured two huge three-point baskets by Ryan Modiest (18 points) and another by Carl Terrell (9). Dunnigan scored 18 of his game-high 25 points in the second half.
“Morris is one of the best players in the state,” Brost said. “He showed that tonight. And so is Ben. He made the play to win the game.”
Moore hit 2-of-10 shots and closed with nine points. However, sophomore guard Prentiss Nixon (15 points) hit his first four three-point shots of the second half, three to help the Raiders build their 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Guyton scored 14, Williams 12 and Shakur Triplett seven off the bench in the second quarter, when Bolingbrook outscored West 18-7 to erase its early deficit.
