Lincoln-Way Central’s Korey Cagnolatti was hot under the collar at halftime Friday night.
The senior guard was assigned to Andrew sharpshooter Athan Berchos, and that didn’t work out too well as Berchos, also a senior guard, ended up with 20 points in the first 16 minutes.
And Cagnolatti didn’t appreciate that at all.
“It didn’t sit well with me,” Cagnolatti said. “Nope, nothing sits well giving up 20 points in a game, especially in one half.”
That changed dramatically in the second half as Berchos was held to only one shot and four free throws as the Knights pulled off a 55-51 SouthWest Suburban Conference win over host Andrew.
Cagnolatti also was a menace on offense in Tinley Park, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds and four steals for Lincoln-Way Central (5-3, 2-2). He scored 10 points during the second half.
Lucas Andresen added 12 points and 10 rebounds, including three big boards in the final 22 seconds. Drew Woodburn, who had 15 points off the bench, hit a pair of key free throws with 4 seconds left.
Berchos, who scored 33 points on Dec. 4 against Argo, paced Andrew (3-5, 0-3) with 24 points. Scott Dinnon added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Thunderbolts, who led 29-27 at halftime.
For Cagnolatti, however, it was a matter of putting a rough first half behind him and then working even harder for the Knights in the second half.
“The first half, our game plan was to try to not let him take over,” Cagnolatti said of Berchos. “But he came out and knocked down his shots.
“The second half was to play him straight up and strictly deny the basketball. My teammates helped out in the gaps and that made it easier on me. I made it my sole mission to stay in front of him.”
Lincoln-Way Central coach Brian Flaherty, of course, liked Cagnolatti’s play on both ends of the floor, but he raved about the defensive effort a little bit more.
“It’s a huge credit for Korey to be unselfish with what we asked him to do,” Flaherty said. “(Berchos) is a very good scorer, and after that first half, we had to find a way to limit his touches and make somebody else put the ball through the hole.”
Andresen’s rebounding also was huge.
The 6-4 junior forward is coming off a long football season as a receiver, and Flaherty predicted Andresen could be a Division I prospect in that sport.
Even though he started playing basketball in third grade and football in high school, Andresen said his football skills have helped him during the winter.
“I just react,” he said about rebounding. “It’s second nature because I play receiver and it’s a matter of tracking the ball.”
“He’s athletic and he brings the height to get dunks and get the boards,” Cagnolatti said of Andresen. “He’s a bully.”
Andresen, Woodburn and Nolan Morrill are just getting back into basketball shape after a football season that saw the Knights make it all the way to the Class 7A state semifinals.
In basketball, heading into Friday night, Lincoln-Way Central’s losses were to defending Class 4A state champion Homewood-Flossmoor (7-0), Perspectives Leadership (6-1) and Lincoln-Way East (5-0).
It’s why Flaherty thinks the Knights are in good shape.
“We’re starting right now to gel,” Flaherty said. “The football players came in after we were teaching everything and they were getting their legs under them.
“All three of those guys who came back from football made key contributions.”
But the 6-foot Cagnolatti is also making a difference for the Knights.
“Korey is an incredibly selfless player,” Flaherty said. “He accepted the assignment, and what he did in the second half won the game for us.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
