Boys basketball: Butler's 37 points power Minooka past Romeoville

CHANNAHON – As a freshman, Jon Butler was the varsity point guard.

In this, his senior year, he is manning the post for the Minooka boys basketball team.

Credit Indians coach Scott Tanaka for knowing how to maximize his star pupil’s potential every step along the way.

In a big Southwest Prairie Conference game for both sides Friday night, all the 6-foot-2 Butler did was score 37 points on 14-of-20 shooting and 8 of 9 free throws as Minooka rolled past Romeoville, 61-48, to remain alive in the SPC title chase.

Where the 37 points rank on Minooka’s all-time, single-game scoring list nobody seemed to know. At least it is on top in the Butler household.

“I think both my brothers [Jake and Joe] had 32 or 33, right around there,” Butler said. “My teammates did a great job getting me the ball in position to score. And they play good defense against me in practice. They get me ready.”

This was a night when Butler had eyes in the back of his head. He hit a 3-pointer, had a breakaway dunk and created his own layups on a few drives to the bucket. But none of that was his nightlong M.O.

Time and again, he received a pass down low, back to the basket, and spun right or left, somehow knowing which direction to take to get off a high-percentage shot, even when he was guarded by 6-7 Dontia Johnson.

“Jonny is a matchup problem for a lot of guys,” Tanaka said.

“Butler was phenomenal,” Romeoville coach Marc Howard said. “He had an awesome game. He was making everything he put up around the basket, and they did a good job feeding the hot hand. Every time we tried to make a run, Butler would score some more. There’s nothing to do but tip your cap.”

Howard has been tuned into local basketball as a spectator, player and coach for more than 20 years. He could recall precious few outbursts in the 37-point range.

“I know I watched [former Joliet West/Joliet Township all-stater] Gary Bell do it because I played with him,” he said. “Maybe Roger Powell Jr. had that many in a game – I know Roger Sr. did.

“You know who Butler reminds me of around the basket is [ex-Joliet Township standout] Richard Terry. He was hard to stop like that.”

By quarter, Butler scored 7, 10, 11 and 9 points. He scored 21 consecutive points for Minooka (20-6, 9-2) in an 8-minute, 9-second span from midway through the second quarter through midway through the third. That streak ended when Butler had a chance to score an easy basket himself but handed off to Adrian Paige for a layup.

“I didn’t know until sometime in the third quarter that he had that many points,” Indians teammate John Carnagio said. “I’ll admit, I was trying to help get him to 40 toward the end. But the win is better than all of this. We want to feel good going into the playoffs.”

Romeoville (12-11, 6-5), which has lost four straight, trailed 18-13 after one quarter, 31-25 at half and 48-35 after three quarters. The Spartans scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to get within 48-41, but more Butler production put it away.

Another night at the office.

“Jonny has been playing like that the second half of the season,” Tanaka said. “Joliet West and Joliet Central have great players, and so does this team [Romeoville], but he is one of the best in the conference.

“We’ve won six in a row, and that number 20 [victories] has been in the back of our head. That we have won 20, and Jonny had a game like this, is a credit to all our guys knowing who their leader is and not leaving a hot hand.”

Minooka shot 55.8 percent on 24 of 43, while Romeoville was at .541 on 20 of 37. The rebounds were even, but turnovers were key. The Spartans committed 17, the Indians nine.

Minooka junior guard Brandon Hill, logging more minutes than usual because of Keegan Graebner’s foul trouble, enhanced a strong floor game with seven points and four rebounds. Graebner and Antonio Milazzo scored five apiece and Carnagio grabbed six rebounds.

“Brandon Hill was great,” Tanaka said. “He did a really nice job. Carnagio, Adrian Paige, the whole bench, all were awesome. Kyle Graebner always gives us a good game, and Antonio Milazzo does so many things that don’t show up in the stats. He set great screens to help Jonny [Butler] get free.”

Romeoville got 12 points from DeAndre Heckard and Dontia Johnson and 10 from Robert Johnson. Kahlil Blakney scored all of his six in the second half.