West Aurora senior Terrence Smith is enjoying his final season of basketball more than any other.
And that’s saying something.
“I love my team,” Smith said. “To me, it really is just trying to lead by example.
“I’m an older guy and have been on the varsity for a while now, so I’m trying to lead by example for the young guys who look up to me.”
The Iowa football recruit turned in another dominant performance Saturday when he tallied 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the host Blackhawks to a 56-51 victory over Brother Rice.
It was the 13th straight victory for West Aurora (18-8), which hasn’t lost in 2025. This win was the most impressive of the streak. Brother Rice (23-4) is one of the best Class 3A teams in the state.
West Aurora coach Michael Fowler knew his team had great potential despite struggling with injuries early in the season.
“They’re buying in and beginning to understand what it takes to beat teams that are pretty good,” Fowler said. “And (Brother Rice) is a good basketball team.
“We talked about being physical and playing 32 minutes of big boy basketball, and they went out there and did their jobs.”
Smith has long been West Aurora’s big boy, with an ability to dominate at both ends.
“He’s just a difference maker,” Fowler said. “He’s tough to deal with with his athleticism, rebounding the basketball, scoring in the paint, guarding.
“When he’s out there, he’s kind of a mismatch for some teams.”
Fowler has had Smith coming off the bench for the Blackhawks, although Smith plays starter’s minutes and rarely leaves the game once he comes in. He’s fine with that arrangement.
“It’s been working, so I’m not complaining,” Smith said. “Whatever works best for helping us win the game. We’ve got a lot of sophomores that have a lot of talent and can play up.”
Those sophomores include point guard Travis Brown, who had seven points, six rebounds and three assists Saturday. All three assists were on baskets by Smith, who finished 9 of 14 overall after making five of his last six shots.
Smith’s dunk gave West Aurora a 41-33 lead after three quarters. Senior guard Jaden Edwards, who scored 10 points off the bench, opened the fourth with a 3-point play to make it 44-33.
Senior guard Marcos Gonzales scored nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter for Brother Rice, twice cutting the deficit to two points. But Smith answered with inside baskets both times and then dropped a sweet pass to Edwards for a layup.
That gave the Blackhawks a 52-46 cushion with 43 seconds left.
“I see him wide open looking for the ball,” Smith said of Edwwards. “I know the other defender was coming up trying to stop me early, so I just dumped it down. As soon as it was in his hand, I knew it was going in.”
And Edwards, an Upper Iowa football commit as a safety, was ready.
“I already knew he was going to pass it to the open man,” Edwards said of Smith. “I just happened to be the open man. I love playing with him. He does this all the time.
“We’ve known each other for a long, long time, so playing with him is really special.”
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, might have a special season in the making.
“We’ve got a great bond and we’ve got it going right now,” Smith said. “This was the one we wanted the most, for real, so I was trying to go out there and give everything I’ve got.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
