Second half keyed Westosha Central to victory
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
After a halftime deadlock, Westosha Central High School produced when it counted, according to boys basketball coach James Hyllberg.
The Falcons, tied at 30 against visiting Burlington, outscored the Demons 46-34 in the second half to secure first place in the Southern Lakes Conference at 4-1 (7-4 overall), a half game ahead of Lake Geneva Badger.
Junior Tre Williams posted a game-high 27 points, which included three shots from 3-point range, and went 8-for-11 from the free throw line.
Hyllberg said the Falcons’ free throws were crucial in the game, with the Falcons collectively converting 18-23, compared to the Demons 14-25.
“If we do that consistently, I like our chances with finishing games,” Hyllberg said.
Senior 6-foot-3 guard Jordan Easthon went 3-for-3 from the charity stripe, made three 3-pointers to finish with 20 points, second on the team.
Easthon, who produced a dunk, was instrumental in the Falcons second half run.
“Jordan played a great all-around game,” Hyllberg said “He knocked down some key shots towards the end of the game.”
The Demons, who dropped to 5-6 (4-3 SLC), received a team-leading 23 points from Nick Klug, with Cal Tully adding 17.
“It was a great game. Both teams had their runs where they went up by a few baskets,” Hyllberg said. “The key to victory was that we were able to make our free throws down the stretch.”
Ron Hall, a 6-5 senior wing, went 5-6 from the free throw line to finish with seven points for Westosha Central.
The Falcons, who host Union Grove (1-5 SLC) Friday, will need to bolster its defensive efforts to stay in first place.
“We just need to continue to get better on the defensive end,” Hyllberg said. “We have to do a better job of rebounding the ball.”