Chesterton’s Ray Yagelski doesn’t mind playing sick.
In fact, the senior point guard said in some ways he plays better when he’s ill.
Yagelski seamlessly directed the offense Friday night for the Trojans in an 66-49 win over Roosevelt while battling the stomach flu. He finished with 15 points.
It was his flawless first quarter, though, that helped Chesterton (5-1) get off to a fast start. Yagelski shot 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.
The final basket of the quarter by Yagelski gave the Trojans a 24-10 lead, and Roosevelt (4-3) never cut the deficit under 14 the rest of the game.
Yagelski, who vomited on the floor in the second quarter, was unmoved by his illness.
Nobody on the team knew he was sick before the game. He knew he was probably going to get sick at some point.
“I usually play better when I’m sick,” he said. “I have this bad habit of going one hundred miles per hour. This makes me slow down. I see everything better.”
Even after getting sick on the court, Yagelski returned by the end of the second quarter. He also played most of the third.
Yagelski’s stellar play, which included breaking down the Panthers’ zone defense, helped open the inside up for Austin Peterson.
Peterson, a 6-foot-5 senior, finished with 24 points. He said Yagelski’s play opened up the inside.
“We got some good post opportunities,” he said. “We were able to play a nice inside-outside game.”
Peterson said Yagelski is hard to slow down if he gets past his defender.
“Once he gets to the hole he is unstoppable,” Peterson said. “He’s good at finishing around the rim, and he has a nice soft touch. If he gets you on his hip, he is dominating.”
Said Chesterton coach Marc Urban of Yagelski: “If he lets the game come to him, he is very talented.”
The Trojans stretched their lead to as many as 20 in the second half.
Roosevelt played shorthanded as Panthers coach Marcus Jefferson only dressed five varsity players. Two players were out with disciplinary issues and two players had injuries.
Also, the Panthers have played 10 games in 16 days. Jefferson said he is taking a long view of the season.
“This should be an interesting time,” he said. “Once we jell and get everyone back, I think we can play well in the 2A sectional. I’m looking at it that way.”
Roosevelt was led by Latrell Williams. He scored 19 points. Tony Tucker also reached double figures for the Panthers with 10.
Twitter @MikeHuttonPT
