By Randy Whalen
Correspondent

The return of Connor Williams and a fast start provided Stagg hope for its first back-to-back wins in nearly a month. A stifling Lockport defense and a slow finish thwarted that possibility.

The Chargers scored only 13 points over the final 23:44 of the game and fell to the Porters, 43-31, in SouthWest Suburban Conference action on Jan. 6 in Palos Hills. It was the sixth loss in eight games for Stagg.

The Chargers (9-8 entering this week) got back in the win column and back over the .500 mark the following day with a 70-44 victory over Hansberry. Sophomore forward Domar Narcevicius led the way with 16 points. Williams had 15 points and junior guard Lebarion Gilmore added 11 points.

The game against Lockport began promisingly enough for Stagg. The Chargers hit four shots from downtown in the first 5:03 of the game and led 18-10 early in the second quarter.

The going got rough from there, despite Williams being back on the court. The junior guard had been sidelined the previous four games, all at the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic tournament at York, during which the Chargers went 1-3.

“We started well,” said Williams. “But then they upped their pressure and it got to us.”

Williams’ four-point play with just more than 6 minutes remaining brought Stagg to within three points (31-28) of the Porters. A Narcevicius 3-pointer with 4:17 to play were the only other points the Chargers scored in the fourth quarter.

“I was just trying to get momentum going,” Williams said regarding the four-point play. “I knew I had to do something and get a shot up.”

Offensive struggles have been a problem for the Chargers, who have averaged less than 38 points in their past five losses. The 31 points versus Lockport was their lowest output of the season, thus far.

“We’ve had a few of these games recently and the easy thing is to say our shots weren’t falling,” Stagg coach Marty Strus said. “But [Lockport’s] defense is fantastic.”

Looking at an always competitive SWSC Red schedule in the second half of the season, Stagg knows the time to improve is now.

“We’ve got to get better,” Strus said. “It’s the halfway point and we’ve got to find a way to be twice as good and improve.”

Stagg opens conference play Friday against Lincoln-Way West in New Lenox.

“We just have to fix the little things,” Williams said. “We have to meet the pass better and we can’t turn it over. We play hard and we should be successful (in the SWSC Red) and maybe win a conference championship.”

Southwest Regional Publishing sports editor Jason Maholy contributed to this story.