Joliet Junior College men's basketball earned an 82-72 victory over Wilbur Wright after a strong first-half performance set the tone.
The Wolves (11-11) led 50-35 at halftime, shooting an efficient 53% from the field in the opening half. JJC controlled the tempo early and executed well on both ends of the floor.
Wilbur Wright attempted to chip away at the lead in the second half, cutting the deficit to as low as six points. However, the Wolves responded with timely stops and key baskets down the stretch to secure the victory.
Ricky Hill led the way with 23 points, four assists and five rebounds, while Levi Goad added 18 points and five rebounds in the victory.
Head coach Danny Turner acknowledged the challenge of staying focused in games like this.
"These types of games are hard to play. No discredit to Wilbur Wright, but when you play a team that hasn't won a game, it's tough. There's no momentum on either side of the ball," Turner said. "I think we did a good job taking care of the ball. We're where we want to be, we've improved in every statistical category, and we're looking forward to Tuesday."
Jyaveion Green also shared his thoughts following the game.
"I feel like we played pretty well. We could have had more energy coming in, but we persevered," Green said. "In practice we're getting together, and I feel like we've found it now. All we have to do is stay sound and play together."
JJC will host against Harper College on Tuesday with tip-off set for 7 p.m. in the Wolves' regular season finale.
