Batavia looked like a team on a mission in the first three quarters of Thursday’s game against St. Charles North.
The Bulldogs attacked the glass for 17 offensive rebounds to lead the North Stars for much of the game.
St. Charles North reversed the trend by countering with solid defensive play and 17 fourth-quarter free throws for a 62-54 come-from-behind victory over Batavia in Upstate Eight River play.
“The first half we didn’t play defense as well as we could,” said St. Charles North sophomore guard Quinten Payne, the younger brother of Iowa guard Cully Payne. “Coach gave us a good halftime talk, and the second half we got it done.”
The North Stars (2-3, 1-0) couldn’t keep the aggressive Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1) off the boards during the first three quarters. Batavia built a nine-point halftime lead behind 10 points and eight rebounds from Elliott Vaughn.
The North Stars trailed 34-26 midway through the third quarter when they sealed off the boards and used their speed to create turnovers. They held the Bulldogs to seven points during a 14-possession span.
St. Charles North closed out the game by hitting 17 of 22 fourth-quarter free throws. Payne scored 10 of his team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs grabbed one offensive rebound in the final quarter.
“We transitioned well, and we were getting good looks so they had to foul us,” Payne said. “We had to get a more team game in the second half. We really worked on defense.”
Player of the game:
Quinten Payne, St. Charles North, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals.
Key performers:
Batavia — Elliott Vaughn, 16 points, 12 rebounds; Jesse Coffey, 17 points, 3 3-pointers. St. Charles North — Kyle Nelson, 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks.
