Naperville North senior guard Carson Loughlin has a simple basketball philosophy.
If he sees the ball, he must go get it.
“Carson is a very intentional player, meaning if there is a loose ball, there’s a rebound, there’s a 50-50 situation to get the ball, he feels like it’s his,” Naperville North coach Gene Nolan said. “That contributes to winning because the game goes up and down and there’s loose balls and there’s missed shots.
“Carson is the type of player that wants his hands on all of those.”
The 6-foot-3 Loughlin was everywhere he needed to be against crosstown rival Naperville Central on Friday night. He scored a team-high 13 points and paced all players with 11 rebounds to lead the visiting Huskies to a 44-33 DuPage Valley Conference victory.
Naperville North (8-2, 2-0), which has won three games in a row, is 3-0 against the Redhawks (3-5, 0-2) during Loughlin’s varsity career.
“We came together and made things happen,” he said. “That always happens against Central.”
Loughlin made it happen at both ends. He was a rebounding machine during the Huskies’ 15-0 run bridging halftime. Then he scored 10 points in the second half, including a slashing drive that resulted in a three-point play to give Naperville North its largest lead, 37-23, with 1:01 left in the third quarter.
The Redhawks pulled within 38-33 with 1:18 remaining in the fourth quarter. But the Huskies scored the last six points, and Loughlin grabbed the final rebound to seal the win.
“Carson is a really lengthy player,” Naperville North junior guard Jack Zitko said. “His length makes him able to grab rebounds. But he’s also high-energy, and he’s not afraid to hit somebody. Carson being physical down low really helps us out.”
That was particularly vital when Naperville North senior center Will Harvey got into foul trouble. He was limited to three points and three rebounds before fouling out at the 2:06 mark of the fourth quarter. Loughlin picked up much of the rebounding slack.
“In practice, we’re always doing rebound drills, trying to get stronger and tougher,” Loughlin said. “Will is a big body, but I think our team did a great job filling in when he was in foul trouble and grabbing those boards.
“We got some good box-outs. It worked out well.”
Loughlin led the team in scoring last season but has improved his all-around game since then.
“The whole team has gotten so much more athletic and faster,” Zitko said. “The physicality has stepped up tremendously, especially Carson. That’s what has really improved his game a lot.”
Zitko noticed something else about Loughlin’s performance on Friday.
“He never put his head down, even though maybe sometimes things didn’t go the way he wanted to,” Zitko said. “He kept it up, and I think that’s what drove him to make these big plays, not only on offense but also defense, and that’s what gave us the energy to win the game.”
The Huskies needed a lot of energy to hold off the Redhawks in front of a large, loud crowd.
“Central had come off a big win against Sycamore, so we knew they had a lot of momentum coming in,” Loughlin said. “We didn’t get off to the best start that we wanted, but what’s important is that we finished off strong. We just want to keep building off it.”
Loughlin said he believes the Huskies have the experience, talent and leadership to make a playoff run this season. If they do, Loughlin figures to be a major catalyst.
“Carson is a two-way player,” Nolan said. “He can drive and finish a little bit. He defends. He rebounds.
“He’s good at a lot of different things, and I think that showed.”
Jones resets record: Naperville Central senior guard Trinity Jones scored 44 points on Friday, breaking the program’s single-game record for the second time this season.
Jones, who also had 10 rebounds and four assists during the Redhawks’ 83-51 DVC win over Naperville North, broke her record this time. She had scored 43 points against defending Class 4A state champion Kenwood on Nov. 21 to surpass former WNBA star Candace Parker’s record of 42.
Jones, a Clemson recruit, sat out nearly all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in May 2024. She seems to be making up for lost time for Naperville Central (8-1, 2-0).
Martin adds offer: Neuqua Valley junior guard Mason Martin announced on social media on Sunday that he had received an offer from Illinois.
That came the day after Martin scored 28 points in the Wildcats’ 71-61 nonconference win over Lyons.
Teammate Cole Kelly, a sophomore forward who scored 43 points in the Wildcats’ 73-62 DVC win over Metea Valley on Friday, was already an Illinois target. The latest development makes the Martin-Kelly duo even more notable for Neuqua Valley (7-1, 2-0).
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter. Staff contributed.
