Jeremy Fears leads Joliet West past Cathedral, Xavier Booker at Bank of O'Fallon Shootout

O’FALLON, Ill. – In a battle of McDonald’s All-Americans and future Michigan State teammates, it was Jeremy Fears Jr. and the Joliet West basketball team that topped Xavier Booker and Cathedral at the Bank of O’Fallon Shootout on Saturday night.

Fears dazzled the crowd with his playmaking ability and stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists as Joliet West held off a late comeback attempt by Cathedral for a 60-56 victory at O’Fallon High School.

Booker, an athletic 6-foot-10 forward who had been ranked as the top prospect in the senior class, put on a show as well as he finished with 20 points and game-high 18 rebounds.

“For us, humbly, it’s another win,” Joliet West coach Jeremy Kreiger said. “So what we’re trying to do is build positive habits, positive discipline, heading into the Illinois state playoffs. We have three playoff games left, so coming to play on this stage, No. 1, we were thankful for the opportunity, but beyond that we’re just thankful to win and then learn from the moments that we can improve.”

Joliet West (22-5) earned its seventh straight victory behind a strong start that saw the Tigers jump out to an 18-10 lead after one quarter and 29-18 at halftime.

Fears, a senior point guard, led the way with his team-high 20 points while his brother, sophomore guard Jeremiah Fears, added 12 points, six boards and three assists and was plus-10.

The older Fears, who transferred back to Joliet West for his senior year from La Lumiere Academy in Indiana, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

“I think he scored at the necessary moments, I think he got us into some valuable offensive possessions, he was able to draw fouls and get his teammates to the free throw line, he was able to drive and kick and find his teammates,” Kreiger said. “Unfortunately we just didn’t shoot well from the 3-point line tonight: we were only five of 23. But outside of that I thought he played a controlled floor game. From there, he and the rest of us can improve defensively.”

Cathedral, the No. 9 team in the SBLive Indiana Power 25 boys basketball rankings, fell to 13-5 on the season.

The Fighting Irish got big games from Booker and Jaron Tibbs, a Purdue wide receiver recruit who scored a game-high 22 points, but couldn’t complete their late comeback attempt.

“I thought Joliet West made a lot of plays,” Cathedral coach Jason Delaney said. “The Fear brothers and everything, they just made the plays they needed. But for us, it’s disappointing to lose. We’re missing two starters and one of them being a Division I kid.

“In the long run, even though it stinks losing tonight, on down the road as we try to repeat as state champs these guys are getting valuable, valuable experience. But you tip your hat to Joliet West. We played with what we’ve got and I was happy with our fight.”

Delaney said starting point guard, sophomore Lebron Gough, and 6-5 senior small forward Jake Davis, who has signed with Mercer, were both out with injuries.

The Fighting Irish outscored the Tigers 17-12 in the third quarter and 21-19 in the fourth but came up short over the final minutes as Joliet West retained control at the free throw line.

“It was our ability to get them into the bonus and then the double-bonus and the ability of Jeremy, Jeremiah and Justus (McNair) to make free throws when it was a one-possession or two-possession game,” Kreiger said. “So winning the foul game and winning at the free throw line was very important.”

Joliet West made 19 of 25 free throws (76 percent) on the night, including 12 of 15 (80 percent) in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Jeremy Fears made six of seven. Jeremiah Fears made seven of eight. 

Bank of O'Fallon Shootout - Joliet West vs. Cathedral

Photos from Paul Halfacre