Boys Basketball: Simeon’s fast start stops Notre Dame

Updated: December 5, 2011 10:01PM

By the looks of it, teams will be chasing No. 1-ranked Simeon all season. 

For the second time in two games, the Wolverines started off strong before cruising to a 73-53 win over Notre Dame at Thornton’s McGinnis Jump Ball Showcase on Sunday night.

“We hope that’s the case,” Simeon coach Robert Smith said after his team improved to 2-0. “But we can’t let up. It almost looked like we got bored out there.”

Simeon scored the game’s first eight points and led 24-7 at the end of the first quarter. The Wolverines then took a 41-23 lead into the half.

But Notre Dame (5-2) played inspired after intermission, going on an 8-0 run to leave the score 48-38 with 2:06 to go in the third quarter. Sophomore Jon Johnson even blocked Jabari Parker at the rim.

“We knew it would be a tough game,” said Matt Mooney, who started the run and finished with 10 points. “But we wanted to make it respectable, and I think we did that.”

Simeon shut the door on the Dons with an 8-0 run of its own to close out the third quarter with the lead back up 18.

Parker and Kendrick Nunn punctuated the victory with back-to-back dunks early in the fourth quarter to push Simeon ahead 63-40. 

Parker finished with a game-high 22 points. Steve Taylor scored eight of his 15 in the first quarter, while Nunn added 15 points. 

Duante Stephens scored a team-best 11 for the Dons, including nine in the fourth quarter. Justin Halloran added nine points, all on three-pointers.

“It was a little more a challenge,” Smith said of the team’s second game of the season. “We had that big lead, but they cut into it. That’s a good team there, and they are going to beat some teams this season.”

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