Playing as well as anyone in the country, the No. 3-ranked Triton College men's basketball team probably does not have enough season left to make the final leap to No. 1 – unless they win the NJCAA Division I championship later in March.
The 26-1 Trojans already have jumped from a mid-teens ranking to Top Five in two months with two regular-season games to go. They provided more upgrade grist with their ninth victory in a row in their impressive 108-82 triumph over rival Highland Community College on Saturday, February 24, at the Jordnt Athletic Complex gymnasium.
Likely more important than lofty rankings was a full-throttle performance against a quality opponent whom the Trojans may see again in a few weeks. With just one short lull in the first half, the Trojans manhandled the 18-10 Cougars with relentless offense. Triton racked up its seventh game with at least 100 points this season.
That firepower, along with playoff-tight defense, will be needed soon enough in the postseason, including the Region IV tournament on Highland's home court in Freeport, Ill. "We'll possibly see them (in the regionals)," said coach
Brian Burns, so another statement game like Saturday's can add up.
Star
Amar Augillard boosted the Trojans to a fast start with a trio of three-pointers among his 11 points as Triton grabbed a 23-13 lead. Augillard would go on to hit five three-pointers on 9-for-18 overall shooting, totaling a game-high 29 points.
"Once he makes one or two, he can make a lot of them," said Burns. "I thought he was patient and I thought he got in the flow of the offense.
Highland briefly slowed down Triton with a full-court press midway through the first half, cutting the lead to four points. But the Trojans grabbed back the momentum via three-pointers from
Dylan Williams and
Ilija Varajic in amassing a 57-40 halftime lead.
The Trojans then quickly pushed the lead past the 20-point mark as the second half got underway, and were not challenged the rest of the way.
AJ Dixon had 22 points, including three three-pointers, and six assists. Williams had 20, including four three-pointers, along with a team-leading seven assists.
Dior Conners had 13 points and five assists. Overall, the Trojans connected on 17 three-pointers in 38 attempts.
Troy Cole, Jr. led Highland with 24 points.
Burns simply wants to bottle the smooth play he witnessed against Highland for the next few weeks.
"Keep our ball movement crisp," he said. "We're just trying to be more consistent."
Triton has not lost since its only setback of the season: 101-85 on the road at Kankakee Community College on January 17, after a brief schedule interruption due to bad weather.
Triton's final home game will be against Malcolm X College Tuesday, February 27. The regular season ends Saturday, March 2, at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa.
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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)
