It hasn’t always been smooth sailing this season for the Lincoln-Way West boys basketball team.

The Warriors finished the regular season under .500 and only earned the 14th seed in the Joliet West Sectional. That necessitated they partake in a de facto play-in game against No. 19 Joliet Central Monday night.

If they keep playing the way they did Monday night, however, the playoffs will be a much different story.

After a slow start on their home court, Lincoln-Way West picked up steam in the second quarter and separated itself in the third from the Steelmen. Nothing changed in the fourth as the Warriors earned an 81-44 playoff victory.

The Warriors (15-17) have found success this season when relying on the precise shooting of their guards. Joliet Catholic coach Adam DeGroot mentioned two weeks ago that Lincoln-Way West could be dangerous when it gets hot from deep.

The struggles for Lincoln-Way West have typically come on the defensive end, as coach Tanner Mitchell himself has previously acknowledged. A lack of size has also hurt them against lengthier teams on the glass.

The Warriors knew the second issue wouldn’t be a problem against Joliet Central (5-27). The Steelmen defense and hustle have been solid this year, but they similarly lacked ideal size, which hurt them many times throughout the season. Monday would all come down to how the Warriors shot the ball.

Again, it was a slow start after the Warriors had 10 days of rust to shake off, but by the end, they shot the ball as well as they have all year.

“We rely a lot on the three-point shot because we don’t have a ton of big guys around the hoop,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got a bunch of kids that can shoot the basketball, and we’ve had a lot of games in the past like this. When we get going from the three, we’re a tough team offensively.”

The first quarter was a true battle as the baskets didn’t fall often for either team in the opening frame. It took 90 seconds for the Steelmen to get on the board while the Warriors needed another 74 seconds to do the same. A jumper by Valentin Conejo with just over two minutes to go gave the Steelmen a 9-4 edge, but the Warriors tied it up at 9-9 with 1:30 left in the quarter.

A layup by Kennedy Edwards with four seconds left in the quarter gave the Steelmen a 13-11 edge.

The second quarter belonged to the Warriors. Lincoln-Way West scored seven consecutive points to open things while holding Central scoreless for the first six minutes. The Warriors led by as many as 10 and were up 27-19 at the midway point after Bernal Fox hit a pair of free throws to close the half.

The second half was more of the same. The Warriors stretched the lead to 15 early, and a layup by Eiden Kubilius with 34 seconds left in the third gave them a 20-point advantage. They led 54-34 entering the final quarter. Things only got more lopsided from there.

Drake Been led all scorers with 16 points. Ethan Swanson (11 points) and Aidan Bach (14) also hit double digits for the Warriors. The team finished with 11 shots made from beyond the arc, four of which came from Been.

Joliet Central was led by seniors Fox (14) and James Lee (14).

“The freshmen this year were phenomenal,” Lee said of the Steelmen’s future. “I think we’ve got some underclassmen that are hungry and ready to learn to be better. I’m excited to see them play in the future.”

Lincoln-Way West will face third-seed Lockport in the Lockport Regional Semifinals on Wednesday at 6 p.m.