OREGON — Senior forward Jack Hiveley has carved out a significant role with the Byron High School varsity boys basketball team this season. The former Freeport Aquin player ignited his team during the third quarter of its Big Northern Conference clash against the Oregon Hawks on Friday evening, when the Tigers looked to remain undefeated with their 15th consecutive win.
Oregon hung tough early in the game, as Byron’s cold shooting from the field prevented the Tigers from building a significant lead over the first two quarters. With senior Jameson Caposey leading the charge, Oregon remained within single digits at halftime, trailing the Tigers 26-17.
But the Hawks had no answers for Byron’s stifling three-quarter court press, which forced a flurry of turnovers that allowed the Tigers to earn extra possessions on offense. The 6-foot-3 senior Hiveley took full advantage, beating Oregon defenders off the dribble and cutting to the basket for multiple third-quarter layups. Hiveley scored 11 of his 17 points in the third quarter, where Byron outscored the Hawks 22-5 en route to a decisive 67-42 victory Friday evening.
“Our defense is what makes us who we are,” Hiveley said. “We aren’t allowing many points and we have a lot of tall and lengthy guys who can get a lot of deflections and rebounds. A lot of teams can’t stop us because we’re so well rounded… We came out in the first half and our shots weren’t falling. We were settling for too many 3s and we needed to drive the ball. We got organized in the second half and my teammates gave me the confidence to do what I do.”
Byron (15-0, 4-0 BNC) had six different players score points in the opening quarter, where the Tigers took a 15-9 lead in what was a slower-paced first half. Oregon (10-11, 0-5 BNC) knocked down a pair of 3-point shots to remain within striking distance during the opening half, with Noah Johnson and Kade Girton each drilling triples for the Hawks. Girton led the Oregon offense with 12 points in the game, while Caposey had 11 and Johnson totaled 11 including eight in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers broke the game wide open in the third quarter, however, as Byron flustered Oregon with its three-quarter court press and its dribble-drive penetration, which created foul troubles for the Hawks and allowed the Tigers to enter the bonus for free throws. Three-point baskets from Kye Aken and sophomore guard Cason Newton, who finished with a game-high 22 points on Friday evening, ballooned the Byron lead into double figures and over the 20-point threshold.
“Our defense is where this group has taken the next step,” head coach Matt Huels said. “Teams have only reached the 50-point mark one time against us. On nights where we aren’t making shots or teams are doing different things to us offensively, our multiple defenders have helped us keep and extend leads. We talked at halftime about getting points on the fast break and playing inside-out on offense. Those let us get into our press and more transition opportunities.”
Caposey was the only player on the Oregon side to score in the third quarter, where Byron built a 48-22 lead entering the fourth quarter. Newton sealed the win for the Tigers with a dynamic offensive effort in the fourth quarter, where he scored 12 of his 22 points and converted five field goals including a pair of triples and a contested mid-range shot from the baseline. Senior guard Carson Buser also nailed a 3-point shot from the top of the arc to help ice the Byron victory.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do that without my teammates because they kicked out the passes and they set the screens,” Newton said. “Once I made my first shot, my confidence kicked in. It was a rough start and a lot of my shots went in and out, but I knew my shots would go down. We were more aggressive after halftime and we had our hands up more. We have a problem with our hands being down and we had our hands all over them at times, but we stayed calm.”
The win continues an unbeaten season for the Tigers, who entered Friday’s game rated No. 4 in Class 2A in the AP Top 10 Rankings. Byron also remains undefeated in the Big Northern with several important contests remaining including games against Dixon, Rockford Lutheran and Rockford Christian, all of which are still unbeaten in conference play. If Friday’s results are any indication, though, the Tigers will remain a serious threat to claim the conference title and more.
“We’re a senior-heavy team,” Huels said. “Our kids have executed all year and they’re still undefeated. We’ve done a pretty good job of sharing the basketball. We get out in transition and I think we get the ball moving when teams play zone. Defensively, we’re working as more of a singular unit as opposed to previous years. Whether we’re in the 1-3-1, the ball press or the man-to-man… We’re dictating what kind of offense the other team wants to run.”
