Three Hearts scored in double figures. Garrett Wolfe led the way with 16 points, while Brayden Pals had 13 and Ritz added 10 in his first varsity start.

“He’s been playing really well and earned his opportunity to start,” Farmer noted. “He played the middle for us in the zone. We got the ball to him and he hit some shots. He’s just a 6’1” post player, but he did an outstanding job.

“Garrett shot the ball well, moved well and pushed us in transition,” the EHS coach added. “I think his foot is getting a little better. He looked more like the old Garrett tonight. And Brayden was aggressive on the boards (nine rebounds) and played to his size. We really need that.”

The Hearts got their first win since the St. Anthony Thanksgiving Tournament and improved to 3-8 on the season. They will be back in action today (Wednesday), facing Chicago Brooks at 1:30 p.m. The winner of that game will face either Knoxville or Oak Lawn at 7:30 p.m. The loser will play at 6 p.m.

“When you look at our record, it’s not real indicative of how our season is going,” Farmer said. “Breese Central beat us on a buzzer beater; we lost to Taylorville in double overtime; and we should have beaten Charleston. That’s three more potential wins right there. Our record doesn’t look great, but it’s not a reflection of how these kids have played.”