Ask LJ Kerr if his forte is getting to the rim for Burlington Central, and the junior guard will quickly fire off a statistic illustrating that is, indeed, the case.
Without missing a beat, Kerr pointed out he has made one 3-pointer this season.
“I’m a big driver,” he said. “I love getting to the free-throw line.”
Showing off that strength Friday night, Kerr scored 11 points in the fourth quarter on five layups and a free throw as the Rockets pulled away for a 59-44 Fox Valley Conference win at Jacobs.
Kerr came up one point shy of his career high for Burlington Central (20-9, 11-5), leading all scorers with 17 points. Patrick Shell added 15 and Jake Johnson had 10.
Treval Howard and Ben Jurzak scored 10 points apiece to pace Jacobs (12-16, 8-8).
The Rockets were up 43-40 when they went on a 10-0 run to put the game away. Kerr scored seven of those points, all coming in the lane with an array of creative moves around the basket.
“I just find a way to get to the rim,” Kerr said. “I like the Euro step and spin moves. That’s my main thing. I like to power through and get to the hoop and not shy away from the contact.
“That’s what I’ve been working on, and it’s working pretty well.”
Kerr did all of that damage while playing with four fouls, which kept him out for much of the rest of the game. Once he got to the fourth, however, he put the Rockets on his back.
“He’s been playing really well,” Burlington Central coach Brett Porto said of Kerr. “How he played in the fourth quarter is how he’s been playing for full games lately. He’s very valuable, just playing a pure point guard.
“When he sees the lane to attack, he’s attacking and getting us into our sets.”
Kerr said he was mindful of the fact he had to sit for large stretches Friday night. He wanted to put the game away for the Rockets in the fourth.
“Having four fouls was tough,” Kerr said. “I’ve never really been at four fouls in the third quarter. It was rough, but I wanted to find a way to win.
“I didn’t want to let my teammates down, because I really let them down in the first half with the fouls.”
The Rockets are 6-1 in their last seven games, with the lone loss coming in triple overtime to Huntley. Porto said it’s no coincidence Kerr’s improved play coincides with that streak.
“His development has been pretty much in lockstep with our team this year,” Porto said. “We were just trying to keep him into it mentally because he sat out so long in different stretches.
“To see him come in and respond like that, that’s a big growing point for a junior point guard. It was difficult for us to have him on the bench.”
Jacobs had an answer for most of Burlington Central’s hot stretches during the first three quarters, keeping the game within an arm’s length. That changed in the fourth when Kerr took over.
“He’s a big, strong, tough kid,” Jacobs assistant coach Tim Moran said of Kerr. “He’s always been a load to guard because he seems like a competitor and a super tough kid who does a really nice job for them.”
Kerr said he loved being in the middle of the winning stretch in the fourth quarter.
“I live for those moments,” Kerr said. “That’s the adrenaline rush. I love that. I love being with my teammates and having fun out there and competing and winning. We found a way.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
