By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
In the battle for supremacy, between the top two schools, in the Southwest Prairie Conference on January 26, the Spartans of Romeoville and the host Steelmen of Joliet Central, put on a show for 40 minutes, at “The Old Barn.”
With the host Steelmen up 56-55 with 10 seconds remaining in the second overtime, Steelmen senior guard Don Joachim, stepped to the charity stripe. Joachim calmly sank both free throws, for a 58-55 Steelmen lead.
Romeoville’s (16-5, 8-1) DeAndre Heckard’s, desperation three-point shot, banged off the rim. When Steelmen senior Johnny Fuller, hauled down the rebound, Joliet Central (16-3, 9-0) had a 58-55 double-overtime win and sole possession of first place in the SPC.
“I had to make those two free throws with ten seconds left,” Joachim said. “I have to get in the gym and work on my free-throw shooting. I missed a few tonight.”
Joachim had an average night at the free throw line, making six of nine. That was the only part of the Steelmen senior’s game, that was average.
Joachim would finish with a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds, scoring 19 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and the two overtimes.
“The Romeoville defense was playing me to the left side which opened up the right side of the basket,” Joachim said. “I just took it to the basket. It was great. I didn’t see this big game coming for me. Big win for us!.”
Romeoville was led by senior guard Kahlil Blakney, who led the Spartans with 20 points. Blakney also hauled down seven rebounds, had three steals, three blocked shots and handed out two assists.
Romeoville clung to a 30-29 lead after three quarters, when Joachim and Blakney took over the game.
Joachim scored eight of the 13 Steelmen, fourth quarter points, burying a pair of three’s. Blakeny scored seven of the 12 Spartan points in the fourth quarter, including a long-range 3.
Romeoville sophomore Destin Whitaker, sent the game to overtime, when he buried a three point shot with 11.8 seconds left in regulation, to tie the game at 42.
In the first overtime, Joachim and Cam Blackmon (10 points, three rebounds, three steals) scored nine of the ten Steelmen points in the overtime.
“This was a huge win for us. Big crowd and it was loud in here,” Blackmon said. “I took whatever the defense gave me tonight and we got a breakout game from Don (Joachim).
We want to beat LW-East tomorrow and hopefully get the No. 1 seed in the Sectional”
Blakney and Heckard (10 points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots, three steals) scored all 10 of the Spartans’ first overtime points.
With 29 seconds left in the first overtime, Blakney buried his second three of the contest, to tie the game at 52 and send it to a second overtime.
“We battled and battled all night,” Blakney said. “We just fell a little short. The 20 points I scored tonight, I owe to all of my teammates. We all played so hard.”
Steelmen sophomore Deadotto McGaughy scored four points off the bench, including a huge free throw in the first overtime. Sophomore Dakota Joachim scored three points and played some valuable minutes off the bench for Central
“Don (Joachim) really attacked the basket in the fourth quarter and overtime,” Joliet Central head coach Lawrence Thompson Jr. said. “This was a huge win for us. Our three losses were to teams that everyone in the media thought highly of. The word was out that we couldn’t beat the big boys. Well we did tonight. Romeoville is very good. They are long. They are well coached and they have guys that can put the ball in the basket.”
Romeoville’s 6-foot-7 Dontia Johnson scored seven points, hauled down eight rebounds and had two blocked shots while Eddie Creal scored seven points, had seven rebounds and three steals, all in the second half and overtime.
“I am proud of the effort the kids gave tonight,” Romeoville head coach Marc Howard said. “Both teams made big plays down the stretch and we wish we could have hit a couple free throws. We beat them in overtime in November. One never knows how things shake out but maybe we’ll see them again in March.”