Chicago-Area High School News and Scores | Season Pass

Larkin has plenty of scoring options this season and it used just about all of them on Friday.

The Royals (3-0) continued to roll right along at the Hoops for Healing Thanksgiving Tournament at Woodstock with a 66-47 win over Round Lake.

The Royals had 10 different players in the scoring column. Quentin Ruff dropped in a game-high 15 points, including three three-pointers, to lead Larkin and Quantice Hunter added 10. The Royals bench accounted for 28 combined points. Brayden Royce had eight points off the bench and Kendale McCullum chipped in seven.

“Our starters did a good job of getting us a lead,” Larkin coach Deryn Carter said. “We had a nice stretch there midway through the first half that really showed what can make us a good team. Then we had some other guys come in and play real well for us. Having a guy like Kendale (McCullum) is just like having a sixth starter. I like the energy he brings off the bench. I also thought Brayden and Taylor Boley (six points) gave us some nice minutes. It’s nice to be able to go that deep.”

The Royals started pulling away late in the first quarter to go up 17-8. Then they outscored the Panthers 19-7 in the second quarter to extend the lead to 36-15 at the half. Ruff had eight points in the first half and Hunter had seven. Each had a three-pointer. Daniel McFadden also contributed 6 of his 8 points in the first half.

Round Lake scored the first four points of the second half but the Royals quickly snuffed out any comeback attempt. Hunter dropped in a three-pointer to start an 11-2 run. Ruff capped it with back-to-back threes to give the Royals their largest lead of the game at 47-21.

“We’ve been pushing ourselves real hard in practice,” said Ruff. “And we just try to carry over that intensity to the games.”

The Royals will face likely their toughest challenge of the tournament when they meet Hononegah on Saturday.

“That will be a good test for us,” Carter said. “Not only are they a talented team but their execution is excellent. I’m pretty happy with how we have played for the most part so far, but we’ve been a little inconsistent. We will have to play at a higher clip the whole way against them.”