By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
In order for tonight’s home showdown with McFarland to have any meaning, the East Troy boys basketball team needed to take care of business Monday night.
And that the Trojans certainly did.
East Troy built a nine-point advantage over visiting Edgerton, and then outscored the Tide by 15 points in the second half to cruise to a 77-53 victory.
The win improved the Trojans to 11-6 overall and 11-3 in the RVC, just a half game behind North Division leaders McFarland and Evansville in the loss column.
East Troy hosts McFarland Friday night at 7:15 p.m., and with a win could potentially gain at least a share of the title. McFarland owns a 71-66 victory over the Trojans from earlier this season.
Now is the time of the season for teams to be at their best, East Troy coach Darryl Rayfield said.
“It has always been what we have made our main commitment here,” he said. “We always have tried to be playing well and getting better as the year progresses.
“Finding consistency with these young guys will be something we will be looking for as we move forward.”
Against Edgerton on Monday, freshman A.J. Vukovich led the way with 24 points, followed by Jonathan Ciriacks with 17 and Nick Bourdo with 14.
The win over the Tide came on the heels of a 66-52 victory at Jefferson on Feb. 9. East Troy built a 10-point halftime lead and never looked back.
Vukovich had a game-high 25 points, followed by Ciriacks with 19 for the Trojans.
Rayfield said he didn’t want his team to look past the Eagles – and they certainly didn’t.
“(We’re) learning how to handle playing after big wins, especially on the road, then understanding how to win when you don’t play well and every one of your opponents would like nothing better than to beat East Troy,” he said.
Rayfield was pleased with the efforts of both Vukovich and Ciriacks.
“They made enough plays to keep us above water,” he said. “(It was) just another night of good balance offensively.
“I felt Jared (Brehm), our point guard, ran our team well and never panicked. We have challenged him, and he is responding. It is a process to be a pass-first point guard, but still be an aggressive scorer when needed. He called some nice quick hitting (plays). I just love seeing him maturing into a leader.”
There were times against Jefferson when Rayfield was pleased with his team’s defensive efforts – but that remains a work in progress, he said.
“We were trending pretty well, but felt as though we just didn’t connect and had no energy,” he said. “It was a great learning situation for sure.
“It is something we can look back on video and take to the classroom. A perfect teaching and learning opportunity for all of us.”
Following tonight’s game with McFarland, the Trojans will host Racine Case Monday, Feb. 20, in a 7:15 p.m. nonconference contest.
