Playing through 6-foot-7 junior forward Danny Spychala, Crystal Lake Central disintegrated a five-point deficit after three quarters Wednesday.

Fittingly, Spychala was the final Tiger to score during the Fox Valley Conference boys basketball game against Jacobs.

Laying in a pass from teammate Bud Shanahan, who buried back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth quarter, Spychala finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds as Crystal Lake Central dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring Jacobs 20-4, in a 49-38 victory.

“My teammates spaced it out and we were looking for the open guy,” Spychala said. “When we play as a team, we’ll get each other open. I flashed to get the ball and get the offense going. It was about our grit and hard work and our coach keeps encouraging us.”

Down 34-29 after the third quarter, Crystal Lake Central (12-5, 3-4 FVC) broke off a 10-2 run, tying the score on a 3-pointer from senior Aidan Watson and surging ahead after Spychala put in a turnaround shot near the basket.

The Tigers, who outrebounded the Golden Eagles 32-26, held Jacobs scoreless for nearly five minutes and limited the team to two fourth-quarter field goals.

“We all love each other and we’re going out there playing as hard as we can,” Spychala said. “It’s a big win for us and conference wins are always great. It’s nice to finally break that losing streak.”

The win snapped a two-game conference skid for the Tigers, who grew their fourth-quarter lead to nine points after Shanahan hit a pair of corner triples to fire up the Crystal Lake Central audience, which included a large number of local youth players. Shanahan, who hadn’t scored prior to the fourth quarter, made a breakaway pass for a Spychala layup in the closing seconds to ice the win.

“I just had confidence to shoot it,” Shanahan said. “Our team played really well together and no one was really selfish. Our coach really emphasizes defense in practice and if we don’t play defense, then we aren’t going to play... It’s just a great team win.”

In a low-scoring first half, Jacobs (10-7, 3-4 FVC) went without a point for nearly four minutes to start the game before freshman guard Malachi Bell finished a layup through contact for a 3-point play. Bell, who totaled 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists, sparked Jacobs in the third quarter, helping the Golden Eagles on a 6-0 run that included a 3-point make from Ernesto Castro Ham.

“I had a tough first and second quarter, but after halftime, my teammates were building me up and helping me get back into that spirit,” Bell said. “I felt like we were playing well as a team, getting everyone involved and getting the looks we wanted.”

Senior guard Jack Magee, who drained two triples in the first half, banked in a 3-pointer off the glass as time expired to put Jacobs ahead 18-16 after two quarters. Crystal Lake Central made a brief run in the third quarter, where an offensive rebound and putback by Spychala tied the game at 24-24, but a floating one-handed shot by Bell sparked a 10-5 Jacobs run as the quarter concluded.

“Adversity hit and we didn’t handle that well,” Bell said. “We need to have a good day tomorrow, we need good energy and we need to stay together. Toughness together is something our coach talks to us about a lot. If we do that, then we’ll bounce back on Friday.”

Avery Lee posted seven points and four rebounds for the Tigers, who travel to Crystal Lake South Friday. Watson had four points and seven rebounds, while Sonny Shanahan chipped in seven points. Logan Laudadio compiled six points, four rebounds and four assists to help pace the Crystal Lake Central offense.

Magee and senior forward Samson Averehi each finished with seven points and four rebounds for the Golden Eagles, who will travel and take on Burlington Central in conference play Friday night. Carson Goehring and Castro Ham each had three points in the game.