These days, Andrew’s Mason Moore can be a pretty scary sight for an opponent. The 6-foot-5 junior forward is an intimidating shot-blocker.
When he was younger, however, Moore was the one feeling the fear when it came to basketball.
“At first, I was scared to play,” he said. “I was always watching my brother play but I never imagined myself playing. I just wanted to watch.
“My dad told me to just go out there and try, and I’ve been in love with it ever since.”
Moore showed off his defensive prowess Wednesday night, blocking four shots and coming up with a huge steal and basket in the final minute to lift the host Thunderbolts to a 42-37 win over Oak Forest in Tinley Park.
Malik Mahmoud scored 13 points to lead Andrew (9-15). Moore finished with nine points and 11 rebounds, while Dionte Thigpen added eight points and Ryan Dinnon contributed seven points and seven rebounds.
Matt Anderson finished with 15 points and five rebounds for Oak Forest (14-13). Gary Manso added seven points, while Will Englund and Hayden Noha chipped in with six points apiece.
The Bengals led 37-36 before Moore scored four straight points for the Thunderbolts. The final two were delivered when he came up with a steal and converted a layup on the other end to build a 40-37 lead with 30 seconds to go.
Mahmoud then hit two free throws to seal the victory.
“I just did what I needed to do for my team to win,” Moore said. “I knew we needed a stop and needed a score so I just tried my best. I got the steal and got the layup.”
Moore also dazzled the crowd with a couple highlight-reel blocked shots.
In the first half, he stuffed a shot and pulled the ball down with one hand, making it look easy. In the second half, he slapped aside a shot with some force, exciting Andrew’s student section.
“I liked the swat in the second half better,” Moore said. “Over time, I just got more athletic and more able to do things like that. I use my ability to block shots, and my length definitely helps me.”
Moore is starting to make the kind of impact, especially on the defensive end, that Andrew coach Justin Stirn knew he was capable of.
“He’s a monster,” Stirn said. “Defensively, when he plays with the tenacity you saw in this game, he’s invaluable for us. It’s just trying to make sure he understands that a lot of times it’s not about how many points you put on the board but it’s all the small things.
“He did a great job with that (Wednesday), getting rebounds and preventing them from scoring opportunities.”
Andrew has been playing without leading scorer Athan Berchos since he suffered an injury on Dec. 30. The Thunderbolts went just 1-6 in January but are now 2-0 in February, including Monday’s 42-41 overtime win over Minooka.
“With Athan out, It makes me feel like I’ve got to fill those shoes,” Mahmoud said. “I’ve tried to just pick it up.”
Of course, when Moore can shut teams down, Andrew doesn’t need to score as much.
“He makes a huge impact,” Mahmoud said of Moore. “Defensively, offensively, everything. We need him.”
Mason Moore’s older brother, Matthew, played three years at Hillcrest before finishing his high school career at Joliet West and moving on to Division I at North Carolina Wilmington.
Matthew was a strong defender and rebounder, giving Mason someone to model his game after.
“I always supported my brother at his game and I always looked up to him,” Mason said. “I’m trying to live up to his name.”
