Boys Basketball: Plainfield North stings Minooka
By Tina Akouris takouris@suntimes.com January 25, 2013 9:26PM
high school
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Updated: February 28, 2013 6:44AM
Plainfield North guard Marcus Fair had a good feeling that the host Tigers had the game put away when they took a 25-point lead midway through the third quarter against Minooka.
But he wouldn’t dare say it.
It would have been difficult for Fair to jinx his team, as Plainfield North handily beat Minooka 60-32 on Friday night in a Southwest Prairie Conference contest.
Fair paced the Tigers with 21 points and 6-foot-7 center Corey Evak chipped in 14 points.
“I didn’t really want to think that (Plainfield North had the game won) and I thought it myself, but I didn’t want anyone else to think it was over,” Fair said. “I just wanted everyone to keep playing hard and I didn’t say anything at all.”
Tigers coach Nick DiForti said his team played its best basketball in two years.
“We’ve been on the kids about playing unselfish and playing as a team,” DiForti said. “They met the challenge and I’m really proud of them.”
North (7-11, 5-3) came out fast and furious in the first half and went up on Minooka by a whopping 15 points just in the first quarter. It appeared it was going to be that kind of offensive explosion for the Tigers.
Things cooled in the second quarter and both teams scored just seven points each, with the Tigers still holding a commanding 32-17 lead at the break.
“Coach got on us at halftime to make sure we knew that the game wasn’t over and he told us to come out and stay with the momentum,” Fair said.
The onslaught picked up in the third quarter. North took a 20-point lead with four minutes to go in the quarter and then a 25-point advantage with 1:30 to go in the quarter.
Darrin Meyers led Minooka (14-9, 5-3) with 12 points.
