Stagg’s 82-74 home-court decision over Joliet Friday night in Palos Hills may turn out to be more than just another SICA West victory.
It may have been the game in which Stagg decided to establish itself as one of the better teams in the south suburbs.
Joe Scott, a 6-foot-9-inch senior, had 22 points and eight rebounds. Sean Mackey added 19 points and 12 rebounds, six in the fourth quarter, as the Chargers, who had threatened to blow out the Steelmen in a big third period, had to hold on in the end.
“Today we had great effort from players other than Mackey and Scott,” Stagg coach Al Biancalana said. “Hopefully that shows other teams that they can’t pack it in on them.”
If the next two weeks are anything like Friday, the Chargers (8-1, 2-0) sent a message opponents will get find loud and clear. The tempo for the game was set early, in an NBA-style shootout that saw Joliet lead 21-20 after one. Stagg junior Geoff Peterson gave a hint of things to come by scoring 11 of his 21 points in the quarter.
The Chargers took control late in the second as Scott scored seven points in a 14-3 run for a 42-33 lead with 41 seconds left. Peterson finished with 17 first-half points and made five of seven three-point attempts.
Stagg went on an 8-2 run to start the third, with Scott and Nate Clark (11 points) scoring four each to build the advantage to 50-37 just 2:10 into the half.
The Chargers led 58-47 after three before Joliet quickly got back into the game. Brandon Sing (20 points, seven rebounds) and DeAndre Cornelius (30 points) had four points each in a 10-0 Steelman run early in the fourth as Joliet crept to within 60-57 with 5:08 left. It would get no closer as Stagg held onto the ball and made 10 of 14 free throws in the game’s final 3:57.
