When his team needed a key bucket, Adam Anwar went to work.

The 6-foot-7 senior forward converted crucial fourth-quarter shots, including a close-range floater through contact, as McHenry sought to close out a defensive Fox Valley Conference battle with Hampshire on Tuesday evening. Anwar finished with 17 points and seven rebounds as the Warriors outlasted the Whip-Purs 47-38.

“There are certain situations where I need to do certain things,” said Anwar, who added three assists. “I got to my spot. I’ve been working all summer and I’ve been trying to use some of the moves I’ve been working on. My teammates and I know that I can score and pass. When I felt like we needed a bucket, I went for it.”

Entering with a significant size advantage, McHenry (5-2, 2-1 FVC) looked to control the paint early in the first quarter, where 6-foot-6 forward Nate Ottaway put home multiple layups under the basket to spark the Warrior offense. Ottaway totaled 12 points and four rebounds for McHenry, which outrebounded Hampshire 26-14.

“The first half was all about being aggressive,” Ottaway said. “We threw the first punch and were aggressive immediately. They know Adam, but they don’t know me as much, so I did what I could to help the team... Every single game, we’re going to have a strength and height advantage. We just have to use that to our advantage.”

While the Warriors opened the game on a 10-2 run, Hampshire (0-7, 0-3 FVC) fought valiantly on the defense. Led by senior guard Jordan Parish, who scored 10 points with two assists, the Whips guarded the perimeter fiercely and worked to move McHenry’s trio of Anwar, Ottaway and 6-foot-7 Blake Renfro away from the hoop.

“My teammates set me up with good shots,” said Parish, who made a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. “A lot of my shots came off of my teammates driving and giving me a good look... We tried forcing them out of the paint because they have a couple of really big guys and our team isn’t very huge. Our coaches came up with a plan to give good help side defense and force them to shoot the ball.”

With McHenry controlling the glass in the first half, holding the Whips to just four rebounds, Hampshire trailed 26-15 at halftime. The Warriors were equally as sharp on the defensive end, forcing turnovers on the perimeter and closing out possessions with rebounds. Five McHenry players had at least three rebounds.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we spent the first 30 minutes in practice tomorrow on rebounding,” Anwar said. “We have to have every rebound... Rebounding is all about effort and it doesn’t matter how tall or strong you are. We’re getting better each day.”

The Warriors led 36-24 after three quarters, but a brief fourth-quarter run by the Whips had Hampshire within four points with under three minutes to go. Clutch triples from Trey Simmons and Cole Harkin ignited the rally for the Whips, who fouled Renfro out in the fourth quarter to put one of McHenry’s bigs on the bench.

Despite a resilient effort, Hampshire couldn’t overcome a strong finish by Anwar and the Warriors, who knocked down critical free throws in the final minute to seal the victory. It’s the fifth loss in a row by fewer than 10 points for the Whips, who will attempt to end their losing streak during Friday’s game at Crystal Lake Central.

“Right now, we’re trying to get our turnovers down,” said Parish, one of two Hampshire players in double figures on Tuesday. “We’re averaging too many turnovers and we’re giving other teams too many possessions, which is killing us at the end of our games.”

Sophomore guard Tyler Johnson had 10 points and two rebounds to aid the Whips and lead all bench scorers in Tuesday’s game. Renfro finished with eight points and three rebounds, while senior guard Dane Currie compiled eight points, six rebounds and two assists for the Warriors, who will host a FVC game with Prairie Ridge on Friday.