ST. LOUIS • The Cahokia boys basketball team was aiming for a win against a team from a fourth state this season when it took on Columbia Hickman Thursday in the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout at Scottrade Center.
It looked good early when Cahokia took a double-digit lead in the first quarter and had the Kewpies reeling, but Hickman righted itself in the second quarter and blew past the Comanches for what turned into an fairly easy 74-53 victory.
Hickman (12-0), which was playing just its second game since Dec. 19, unleashed fabulous junior guard Jimmy Whitt, who scored 14 of his game-high 27 points in the second frame to help take control of the game.
Whitt scored on an array of drives to the hoop, up-and-under scoop shots, and a couple of dunks.
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"This was a big game and we wanted to come out and play a big game for the people that came out," Whitt said. "In the beginning, we weren't making many shots and Cahokia is a good team, but once we got it to the pace we like to play, we were much more comfortable."
Cahokia (9-5), which has beaten teams from Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee this season, led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter and was up 22-10 when it ended. Hickman outscored the Comanches 23-5 in the second quarter to take a 33-27 halftime lead.
Whitt's back court mate Chris Clark, a Tennessee-Martin signee, scored eight of his 20 points in the third frame to help the mid-Missouri team, ranked No. 1 in Class 5, stretch its lead to 54-40.
"We had to find our legs," Hickman coach David Johnson said. "They were quicker than we anticipated and we weren't getting back on defense, but then the shots started to fall and Jimmy really got us going."
Whitt, who was born in St. Louis and moved to Columbia in the first grade, has a dozen scholarship offers already. Some of them are from Arkansas, Mizzou, SMU, Kansas State, Colorado, San Francisco and Creighton. He is ranked as the 91st best player by Scout.com.
In addition to his points, Whitt added 10 rebounds and five steals.
Senior Darius Austin led Cahokia with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Senior C.J. Rivers added nine points and five assists and sophomore Tarkus Ferguson chipped in six points and nine rebounds.