For nearly 22 minutes, Rich South played toe-to-toe with Thornridge on the Falcons’ home floor. It was the other 10 minutes that proved disastrous for the Stars.
Thornridge held Rich South scoreless for a 10-minute stretch of the second half, clearing the way for a 45-32 victory in the Bloom sectional complex.
The Falcons advance to play Bloom in Wednesday’s sectional semifinals.
“I thought our defense played pretty well all night,” Thornridge coach Mike Flaherty said. “In the second half our defense did get us some easy break shots. We were able to get down the floor and get some uncontested baskets.”
Thornridge (22-6) struggled from the floor in the first half, hitting only two of nine three-point tries through the first two quarters. The Falcons took a three-point lead into the locker room and held a four-point lead with 5 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Then Thornridge did more than just turn up the defensive intensity. It erected a stone wall.
The Falcons scored the final 10 points of the third, holding Rich South (17-10) without a basket for the final 4 minutes of the period. The Stars’ frustration continued in the fourth, when they went scoreless until William Morris hit a pair of free throws with 2 minutes remaining. But by then, Rich South was doomed to its fate.
The Falcons reeled off the first seven points of the fourth quarter and held Rich South to 6-for-24 shooting in the second half.
“We have some kids that can hit the three, so I’m reluctant to tell them not to shoot,” Flaherty said. “We got a little more movement against their defense (in the second half).”
Josh Drumgole was a one-man wrecking crew inside for the Falcons. Drumgole, a 6-foot-5-inch forward, scored 15 points and led Thornridge’s second-half dominance on the boards, grabbing nine of his game-high 11 rebounds after halftime.
The Falcons outrebounded Rich South 22-7 over the final two quarters.
“We had a heart check,” Drumgole said. “I took it upon myself to get on the boards and get a couple extra points here and there.
“It’s playoff time and you can’t slack off. You have to leave it all out on the court.”
Tim Williams led Rich South with 11 points.
