And they made a lot more shots.
The game was very tight through the first nine minutes. Robinson led 16-14 at the end of the opening period and was still on top by two, 19-17, after Effingham’s Andrew Donaldson knocked down a three-pointer at the 6:51 mark of the second quarter.
The Maroons then went on a run, largely due to offensive rebounding. Noah Gilmore and Wesley Jackson both scored after grabbing a missed shot to start an 8-0 surge that increased the margin to double digits, 27-17. Robinson scored six times in the first half – five in the second quarter – after grabbing an offensive rebound.
“They crashed the boards hard,” Farmer said. “Their height allowed them to play above us; an altitude we couldn’t reach. But our boxing out and defensive rebounding has to get better. And the players recognize that, which is a good sign.”
Four points by Garrett Wolfe and a pair of free throws from Andrew Splechter got the Hearts within six, but a three-pointer right before the buzzer by Owen Schmidt sent the Maroons to the locker room with a 38-29 advantage at intermission.
The Hearts came out on fire to start the second half. A basket by Splechter, followed by three straight scores from Logan Heil, ignited an 11-2 run. A jumper by Wolfe and a free throw from Heil knotted the score, 40-40, at the 5:04 mark of the third period.
That’s when Aidan Parker, a 6’6” transfer from the Chicago area, hit back-to-back threes, helping Robinson go on another scoring surge and take control of the game. Parker had eight points in the quarter. Cooper Loll, the Maroons 6’5” senior guard, drained a three with just two seconds to go, sending Robinson into the fourth quarter with a 59-46 lead.
“We made a nice run to tie it, but I might have stretched them too much,” Farmer said. “I didn’t substitute as much in that third quarter and I think we ran out of gas. The kids were playing well and they were playing so hard. I should have substituted a little more.”
Robinson’s run continued in the fourth period. When Gilmore, the 6’6” junior center, grabbed a rebound and scored, it capped a 6½-minute, 21-3 surge that stretched the Maroons lead to 67-46 with 5:31 to play.
Splechter scored eight points in the final eight minutes and Donaldson and Wolfe both added six, but the Hearts weren’t able to get any closer than 15 points down the stretch.
“We really pushed the tempo tonight, even though we haven’t practiced it that much at all,” Farmer said. “But I knew we needed to change things completely and open it up. It might have looked like chaos at times, but believe me, it’s organized chaos. I thought we needed to try new stuff and I think it worked.”
Robinson got 23 points from Gilmore, 22 from Parker and 16 more from Loll. The Maroons shot 56 percent overall, making 30-of-54 shots. They also held a 31-20 rebounding edge, with Parker completing his double-double by pulling down 11.
The Hearts had four players in double figures. Wolfe led the way with 22 points, while Splechter scored 17 and Heil and Donaldson added 13 and 12 respectively. EHS shot 50 percent from the floor, connecting on 23-of-46 attempts. They were 5-of-19 from behind the arc and 15-of-22 from the foul line. Splechter and Heil both had five rebounds.
Robinson, now 1-1 in the tourney, will play Breese Central at 3 p.m. The winner of that game will play for the tournament championship Saturday night.
The Hearts, 0-2, will face cross-town rival St. Anthony Friday at 7:30 p.m.
