PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Danville cruises past Rantoul
Dec. 6—RANTOUL — Game-by-game improvement has been the goal for the Danville Vikings boys basketball team to start the season.
With 10 new faces to varsity basketball, including four transfers, just learning all of the names of your teammates has been part of the process.
Jerry Reed III, a junior transfer from Schlarman Academy, had a season-best 26 points as the Vikings improved to 3-3 overall with an 82-56 win over the Rantoul Eagles on Tuesday night in Rantoul.
"We came out and played like we are supposed to play," said Reed. "Coach said that we needed to come in here, play hard and take of business. That's what we did."
Danville, which never trailed in the contest, scored 10 of the game's first 10 points on its way to a 23-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Vikings extended that lead to 22 points (43-21) at halftime on its way to a 26-point triumph.
"It's been very important to get these two wins," said Danville coach Durrell Robinson of his team's wins over Chicago Ogden on Friday night and Rantoul on Tuesday night. "We are still a work in progress. We are going game-by-game and just trying to improve in each game."
The offense for the Vikings on Tuesday night was a direct result of their defense forcing the Eagles (1-6) into more than 20 turnovers in the contest.
"Our main focus has to be our defense," Robinson said. "We feel that our defense can lead to offense, like it did tonight.
"We have an athletic, quick group. We want to get stops and rebounds to be able to push the ball. So, it all starts with our defense."
Tuesday's game was the sixth straight road game for Danville.
"We knew Rantoul would be a feisty opponent, especially in its own gym," Robinson said. "Our whole focus was being able to match their energy, especially early. I feel like we did that.
"At times, they made some nice little runs, as they never laid down, but we just made plays when we need to make them."
Next up for the Vikings is another road game this Friday, but this is also their Big 12 Conference opener against the Peoria High Lions.
Is Danville ready for this?
"We will know when we get there," Robinson said. "I can tell them everything in the world about playing on the road in this conference, but its a different animal, especially going to Peoria and going into the (Lions) Den.
"It's another really tough test for us."
But Robinson admits that his team is better prepared after playing at Lincoln on Nov. 25, at Chicago Ogden last Friday and Tuesday's game with Rantoul.
"Be able to have these road battles have helped get us prepared," he said. "But, it's still only one game at a time and preparing for road conference game and the different environments that we will face is going to tough.
"Our guys are playing calmer than they did to start the season."
What's been the biggest difference?
"We have built up our chemistry," said Reed. "We have been working hard in practice and it feels good to win a game on the road."
So what does one of the transfers know about the Big 12 Conference?
"It's better competition than I faced last year," Reed said.
Joining Reed in double figures was junior guard JaVaughn Robinson with 20 and senior guard Devan Larkin with 14.
Junior forward D.J. Davis had a team-high 19 for the Eagles.
Friday's game for Danville in Peoria is tentatively set for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff.
In Tuesday's junior-varsity game, Danville defeated Rantoul 59-39.
