ROXANA - The Minutemen from Bunker Hill took a somewhat foggy drive down 159 from Macoupin County to take on the Roxana Shells in boys basketball action on Tuesday evening.
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The Shells came into Tuesday’s contest off the back of some big wins in tournament action against Litchfield and Greenville, while Bunker Hill was looking to bounce back from two tournament defeats themselves.
It was the hosts proving victorious on Tuesday evening, as the Shells ran away early on their way to a big 73-41 win.
It didn’t feel like that type of game early on, as Joe Parmentier’s Bunker Hill team traded buckets with the Shells in the first quarter. It was a 7-7 ballgame with about five minutes to play in the first frame when the Shells woke up, and went on a 21-4 run to close the quarter.
The Shells dictated tempo, and once Mark Briggs’s team had the comfortable lead, they never looked back, and the visiting Minutemen couldn’t claw their way back into the contest.
Offensively, the Shells were led by sophomore Sean Maberry, who’s become a go-to scorer for Roxana this season. Maberry had 21 on the night, followed closely by senior guard Chris Walleck, who added 18 of his own, and senior Aidan Briggs chipped in 12.
“I feel like we played well,” said Sean Maberry after the game. “We ran the floor well, we hit the glass hard, and we took care of business.”
The win is the 14th on the season for Roxana, who have now won nine of their last 11 games dating back to holiday tournament play.
“We’re playing a lot better right now,” said Roxana head coach Mark Briggs following the win. “(Sean) Mayberry’s making us some shots, (Chris) Walleck’s been playing well, so hopefully we keep the momentum going forward.”
Despite the loss, it was Bunker Hill head coach Joe Parmentier’s return to the Larry Milazzo Gym on the Roxana High School campus. The longtime EAWR basketball head coach last coached there with the EAWR girls team from 2017-2020. Parmentier is an Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Famer
“Coach Parmentier, he always does a great job getting his kids ready to play, so it’s fun to have them back on the schedule,” said Mark Briggs postgame. “You can tell he’s instilling some toughness in the kids at Bunker Hill.”
Roxana now has a few days of practice before a big game on the road in Breese on Friday night, taking on the Cougars of Breese Central.
“Our schedule is really tough,” said Briggs Tuesday night. “Our conference kind of prepares us for some of these games against teams from the north. Big bodies, good basketball players, each and every night we step on the floor.”
Central has consistently been ranked No. 1 in IHSA Class 2A by the Associated Press this season.
Bunker Hill falls to 6-16, and takes on Bond County’s Mulberry Grove Thursday night at home.
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