The basketball game between the Minooka Indians and the Joliet Central Steelmen was a close game that was decided in the final minutes. The game featured many lead changes, but in the end the difference was 3 points.

On Dec. 2, Minooka was victorious at Joliet Central against the Steelmen 53-50.

The Minooka scoring was led by senior Brady Hairald, who had 20 points. Hairald’s timely shots helped secure the victory for the Indians.

“I think [the game] went pretty well,” Hairald said. “Our team also played a huge factor in making the right plays to help me be successful.”

The team was successful in making the right plays at the right time, which led to their win over Joliet Central. This game marked the beginning of conference play for the Indians.

In addition to Hairald’s scoring efficiency, the Indians were also able to gain a spark from timely plays, such as junior Myles Langston’s key three towards the end of the game.

“Hitting that key three to put us up by 6 before they called timeout was a really good feeling,” Langston said.

Head coach Brett Hespell was pleased with the win and the resiliency that it took to win the game. 

“Learning how to compete down the stretch when we’re not playing our best is important,” Hespell said. “We were trailing in the fourth quarter and we were able to make enough plays to win the game.”

Hespell also addressed the factors that marked their resilience and allowed them to win the game. 

“We rebounded late in the game on the defensive end,” Hespell said. “Once we cleaned that up we were able to create enough separation to win the game.”

Logan Davis is a manager for the varsity boys basketball team.