Johnsburg won’t hesitate to shoot from 3-point range.

The Skyhawks drilled 10 triples and saw six different players knock down 3s as Johnsburg and Plano, both unbeaten in Kishwaukee River Conference play, fought to remain that way Friday evening. Senior guard Ashton Stern drained three triples as Johnsburg rolled for a 74-46 victory over the Reapers.

“It’s something we practice so much and it’s the shot we’re looking for,” Stern said. “We don’t hesitate if we’re open and everyone has the green light to shoot it. All five guys can shoot it and all of the guys coming off the bench can too. It can change a game quickly.”

Drive-and-kick plays were plentiful for the Skyhawks (12-6, 5-0 KRC), who buried six 3-pointers in the first half and had 12 players enter the scorebook on Friday. Junior guard Trey Toussaint, who had nine points and four assists, made a pair of triples to help Johnsburg surge out to an 18-9 lead after the first quarter.

“I think everyone wants it,” Stern said. “From one through 12, all of our guys can score, all of them are hungry to get on the floor and all of them are hungry at practice. It’s good for us to jump out in front and take a one-game lead. We came in knowing we had to play our ‘A’ game and we did. We shut them down pretty quickly.”

Plano (10-9, 4-1 KRC) struggled against Johnsburg’s zone press and half-court defense throughout the opening half. Entering with a notable size advantage, the Skyhawks outrebounded Plano 20-15 and prevented the Reapers from finding any driving lanes in the first half. Forwards Josh Kaunas (6 feet 5 inches) and Danny Loud (6 feet 7 inches) were massive deterrents anchoring the paint.

“We always count on our big guys to protect the rim and get the rebounds,” said senior guard Jayce Schmitt, who compiled seven points, seven rebounds and five assists for Johnsburg. “We really wanted to force them into the middle because of our big guys being there to protect the rim. We stayed out on their shooters.”

Loud, who scored five first-quarter points off the bench, finished with 11 points and three rebounds for the Skyhawks.

Johnsburg forced a Plano timeout after a 10-0 second-quarter run that featured an emphatic block from Kaunas and a full-court pass from Kaunas to senior guard Jarrel Albea, who soared into the air for the layup. Albea totaled 11 points and four rebounds to pace Johnsburg.

“Coming in 4-0, it was a big game and whoever won was going to lead the conference,” said Plano forward Cooper Beaty, who had seven points and a team-high seven rebounds for the Reapers. “It was a long bus ride and we came out slow. With their 2-3 press, I thought it took a while for us to get back into the game.”

Johnsburg took a 36-18 halftime lead and continued canning 3-point shots in the third, in which Stern put home two and helped the Skyhawks soar to a nearly 30-point advantage as the pace of play increased. Jacob Vetter and Carter Block each buried triples as a running clock ensued in the fourth.

“We really emphasize penetrate and kick,” Schmitt said. “We love getting the penetration and the kick-out threes because they go in almost every time. It feels good and we’ll keep rolling from here.”

Kevin Martinez, who helped Plano on a brief 6-0 run late in the second quarter, finished with seven points and four rebounds. Junior guard Ethan Taxis had nine points and two assists for the Reapers, who resume KRC play at Harvard on Wednesday. Kaunas posted seven points and four rebounds for Johnsburg, which will face Eastland and Harlem at the Pecatonica MLK Tournament on Saturday.

“We started picking it up in the second half, but with their shooting ability, we just couldn’t hang with them,” Beaty said. “Our intensity in practice needs to be better. Our practices were intense leading up to our other conference games, but in the week leading up to Johnsburg, we weren’t intense enough. We weren’t ready to play.”