Washington dominated the Morton boys basketball team inside and outside in a Jan. 19 showdown.
The Panthers took the lead in the Mid-Illini Conference at 7-0 with a 66-54 road victory in a battle of unbeatens.
Washington nearly doubled the Potters on the boards and outscored them 21-6 from the three-point arc to reach the halfway point of the league season unblemished.
“We talked all week about how the posts had to be a huge part of the game,” WCHS head coach Kevin Brown said.
Post players Colton Underwood, Connor Underwood and Andrew Watson all did their part for the Panthers against taller Morton in a Potterdome filled to capacity.
Connor Underwood had seven first-half points and Colton Underwood led all participants with nine rebounds.
Washington outrebounded the Potters 16-6 in the first half and 29-15 overall.
“The teamwork we had was unbelievable,” Connor Underwood said. “It feels great to sit on top once again.”
The Panthers survived a 5-for-5 start from the field by Morton, trailing only 11-8 with two Mark Roth three-pointers.
Roth paced Washington with 17 points, 11 of which came in the first quarter.
It was a big night for the Panther guards, who combined for 45 points as Ryan Grebner tallied 16 and Robert Izaguirre 12.
“They stepped up and shot the ball with so much confidence,” Brown said of a trio that was 17-of-31 from the floor.
A Roth trey with 34 seconds left in the first quarter made it 17-14 in favor of the visitors.
An 11-2 spurt to end the second period gave the Panthers a 35-23 halftime bulge.
Five different players had a basket in the sequence. Isaac Fisher made a driving shot at the buzzer to cap the onslaught.
Grebner poured in 10 points in the third quarter, including seven in a two-minute span, to help Washington separate.
A Colton Underwood field goal with 33 seconds left in the third increased the Panther margin to 51-32.
After their deficit grew to 20 points on the first possession of the fourth, the Potters got within 12 at the 3:58 mark on three Brett Bisping free throws.
Washington reestablished control with consecutive hoops from Izaguirre and Fisher.
Tate Anderson scored all eight of his points in the last 2:28, but it was not enough to save Morton from its first M-I defeat since Feb. 24, 2009 vs. Washington.
Bisping led the Potters with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting.
Fisher compiled six points and Colton Underwood five.
While the victory was huge for the Panthers, they realize they have a long way to go in their pursuit of a sixth straight conference championship.
“We just put ourselves on top and in position to take care of business, but it’s a long way from being over,” Brown said.
Morton head coach Steve Schupp noted his players were not physical enough on the interior and Roth was not guarded closely enough.
“Our defensive game plan was not executed properly,” said Schupp.
Washington conducts Senior Night festivities Feb. 23 when the Potters arrive.
WCHS 61, Normal West 45
The Panthers stepped out of the conference, but that did not slow their surge.
Washington (14-3) had a 19-point lead through three quarters Saturday at Torry Gymnasium before the Wildcats did some damage control by winning the fourth.
The Panthers, who were led by Roth’s game-high 25 points, are 12-1 over their last 13 games.
Roth had seven threes against the visiting Big Twelve Conference member.
Connor Underwood, Grebner, Fisher and Ben Ryan all contributed between six and nine points.
Austin Stewart guided Normal West with 20 points.
The big quarters for Washington were the first and third, when it outscored the Wildcats by a combined 34-17.
Washington, Ill. —
