Results of Friday night’s meeting between No. 13 Hillcrest and Bremen: a 60-47 victory for the visiting Hawks, and a mad rush for all available body-length ice bags.
The teams tried to play a SICA North Silver basketball game before a boisterous crowd, and somehow a rugby scrum broke out. They combined for 40 fouls, 55 free throws and one brief pushing-and-shoving episode in the second half that brought security onto the court.
In the end, the capital Hillcrest (14-2, 3-0) established in the first half by building a 19-point lead, plus a healthy dose of forward Kellen Thornton in the second half, was enough to drag them through the muck.
“It was kind of hard,” said Thornton, who led the Hawks with 17 points and dominated the backboards all night. “We just have to tune the crowd out. If we would’ve done that, the turnovers would’ve been minimal.”
Ah, the turnovers. Hillcrest’s count for its own miscues was 26, and Bremen was, at least unofficially, in that neighborhood.
But the Hawks’ defense benefited most when it mattered: After surrendering 20 points to Thornton in the first quarter of a victory Tuesday, Hillcrest didn’t allow Bremen (12-5, 3-1) to hit that mark until two minutes into the third quarter Friday.
“That’s what we pride ourselves on–playing good defense,” said guard Cameron Lee, who added 10 points for Hillcrest. “We just want to be fluid on offense. We didn’t do a good job of that.”
Thornton held his team up on that end. For the first 14 minutes of the second half, the junior forward had four of Hillcrest’s five field goals. Three came via offensive putbacks.
“I just wanted the ball,” said Thornton, who started only because one of his teammates missed the bus to Bremen. “Every time it came off the rim, I made it my job to go get it.”
Thornton fouled out with 4:44 left, but Hillcrest had enough offense with eight straight free throws and buckets from Lee and Julian Scott. Amir Ross led Bremen with 16 points.
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bchamilton@tribune.com
