LENA — Pecatonica struggled offensively to open a 55-42 win over Pearl City (Illinois) in a nonconference game Dec. 1, but Jaden Hendrickson said to his teammates, “I’ve got this.” 

With the score just 2-0 more than three minutes into the game, Hendrickson hit a 3-pointer that lit a fire under his teammates. Hendrickson would go on to score 16 points in the first half as the Vikings went into the locker room with a 32-18 advantage.

“He’s stepped up for us a lot all year and I know it will continue,” Pecatonica head coach Matt Fink said. “It gives us another dynamic to Colton (Schraepfer) because he can handle the ball and is athletic enough to make plays at the basket and from the perimeter. They don’t come off the floor often.”

The Vikings led 10-5 after the first, with Hendrickson scoring five of those points. He hit another big 3-pointer to open the second and Pecatonica went on a 15-6 run over the next 4:31 to pull ahead 25-11 with just 2:32 left until halftime. 

“Pearl City is good. We knew it would be a giant challenge — they are physical, they are athletic and they get to their spots really well,” Fink said. “We were lucky they didn’t shoot the ball very well early.”

Pearl City hit just four field goals in the frame — all 3-pointers — and just one free throw. In the second half, the Wildcats stepped up their pressure and outscored the Vikings 18-11 to make it a seven-point game going into the fourth quarter.

“We weathered the foul trouble and they got hot eventually, but we got through that,” said Fink, whose point guard Schraepfer picked up his fourth foul with 4:38 left, only to return two minutes later and key the final two Viking baskets. “Overall, it was a pretty good team win.”

While Hendrickson scored just two points in the second half, the rest of the Vikings stepped up their game. Carter Ruegsegger hit three 3s and Colton Schraepfer had nine of his 15 points to help Pecatonica secure the win. Zack Eaton scored nine points in the game and the Vikings were 13 of 18 from the free throw line.

“You can’t even speak enough to the things that don’t show up in the box score,” Fink said of his team. “After the first four minutes we rebounded better. Zack and Bo (Hendrickson) looked better in the second half and Carter’s always been a shooter — and he’s becoming a clutch shooter and I hope that carries over the rest of the year.”

Lucas Peterson and Brock Smargiassi led Pearl City with 11 points each.

On Nov. 29, Pecatonica dominated Highland 71-34. Schraepfer scored 18 while Jaden Hendrickson had 17, Eaton 12 and Ruegsegger 10. The Vikings led 36-11 at halftime.

Pecatonica (3-1) was scheduled to open the Six Rivers East slate Dec. 4 at Barneveld and then host Juda Dec. 7.