Metea Valley boys basketball handles Naperville North in a 59-43 win

Metea Valley boys basketball and Naperville North clash in a conference matchup on Friday night. The teams split their two games last year in close affairs, and neither wants to add a second conference loss before the new year. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.

Metea Valley boys basketball goes on a run to close the second against Naperville North

Tied 2-2 early, Khalil Jones drives and dishes to Tre Watkins who finishes through a foul for an and-one to take the lead.

Here’s Miles Okyne driving, stopping, and stepping through for the layup to get one back for North.

Carson Loughlin steals Watkins’ pass, and the junior cuts loose and he blows by the Metea defender to put the Huskies up 10-6 with 3 minutes left in the first quarter.

Watkins is determined to get one back as he deflects the pass, Dominic Smith scoops it up and passes back to Watkins, and the junior slides by Okyne to tie things at 10.

Onto the second quarter now, Jones finds Watkins in transition but he misses, no problem though as Conor Lavery cleans it up to take the lead back.

Working out of the halfcourt, Watkins dishes to Sam Candela who hits the first three-pointer for either team, Metea leads 20-14.

It started a trend though as Watkins hits from deep to extend the lead to 7.

Continuing the run, Watkins dives for a loose ball and Jones is out and running, a slick behind-the-back move lets him slip past the first defender as he rises for a baseline floater. North call timeout as the Mustangs storm to a 27-18 lead.

Here is Watkins continuing the rally with a layup in traffic to close the half. After a stalemate in the first quarter, Metea outscore North 23-8 in the second to take a 33-18 lead. Watkins and Jones combine for 17.

Miles Okyne and the Mustangs take down the Huskies in a DuPage Valley Conference showdown

Miles Okyne starts the second half for North, he can’t find an open man so he turns around and nails the shot. He featured a lot in the offense with 17 on the night.

Jones is hounding Okyne on defense and the ball ends up loose, Tyler Miller throws it downcourt, and Metea scores off another turnover to go up 36-20 halfway through the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Okyne takes it himself, slinking past the Metea defenders to cut the deficit to 9 with 3 minutes left.

Metea has to respond on the inbound and it’s Dominic Smith who scores with a foul to extend the lead back to 11.

It really was an all-around game for the Mustangs as they work it to Smith again for another and-one late in the fourth quarter. Metea go on to win 59-43 and improve to 2-1 in conference play. They play in the State Farm Classic after Christmas.