Two big scoring runs and a balanced scoring attack paced Centennial to a 71-61 victory over Andover in Northwest Suburban boys basketball on Tuesday night. Ten different players scored for the Cougars, including three in double figures, as Centennial won for the fourth time in five games and improved their Northwest Suburban record to 5-7.
Trailing 23-20 with just under five minutes in the first half, Centennial’s defense held Andover off the scoreboard for the remainder of the half while scoring 13 points to turn the three point deficit into a 33-23 halftime lead. Quin Peterson, Centennial’s 6’8” senior post, led the Cougar rally, scoring 10 of his team-high 14 in the first half while contributing to Centennial’s dominance in rebounding missed shots.
Peterson picked up his third foul early in the second half and was forced to the bench, but Centennial managed to keep the pressure on Andover both offensively and defensively. Timely outside shooting and numerous back-door cuts sparked a 14-0 Cougar run, a run that ballooned their lead up to 22 points midway through the second half.
Andover would make a run of their own late in the game. Kyle Kettler scored 14 of his game-high 17 in the second half and Jake McNallan added 9 of his 14 points as the Huskies went on a 15-3 run to whittle the Cougar lead down to 58-47. With 3:30 to go in the game, however, Centennial’s Tyler Peterson hit a big three-point shot to slow down the Andover rally. The Huskies would eventually cut the lead to eight points with two minutes to go, but Centennial was able to ice the game from the free throw line and pick up the 10 point victory.
In addition to Quin Peterson’s 14, Tyler Peterson scored 10 points for Centennial as did Pierre Roddy. Andover’s Connor Wilkie tied Kyle Kettler for the game high in points with 17, with Jake McNallan chipping in with 14. Centennial improved their overall record to 8-9 while Andover dropped to 4-13, 3-9 in the Northwest Suburban.
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