ST. CHARLES - As the weather gets colder, the Parkway North basketball team seems to get hotter.
North used a methodical, business-like effort to dispose of St. Charles West 56-43 on Saturday night in the Gateway Athletic Conference/Suburban Basketball Challenge at the Family Arena in St. Charles
The streaking Vikings (4-3) posted their fourth successive win after starting the season with three straight losses.
Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"Our kids have continued to buy into what we preach," said North coach Russell Vincent. "This is a good group. They work hard and they compete."
North senior guard Dorian Hobbs Jr. and junior forward Darrell Johnson led a balanced attack with 14 points each. Senior Devin Newsom chipped in with eight points. Nine different players figured into the attack.
Find out what's happening in St. Charleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Shane Huddleston and Dustin Fuller led SCW (2-5) with 10 points each. The Warriors are headed in the opposite direction with their fifth straight loss.
The Vikings broke open a close game with a 10-3 run at the outset of the third quarter. Johnson led the spurt with a pair of baskets. A steal and layup by Darryl Harmon capped the streak and gave North a 34-22 lead.
West never got closer than to within eight points the rest of the way.
"We like to say, 'We defend to win,'" noted Vincent. "We win games with our defense."
Hobbs Jr. agreed.
"We like to work on guarding and pressuring people," he said. "That's what we take the most pride in in practice."
The North defense took over the game in the second half with an impressive stretch. The Vikings held West scoreless during a span of 5:26. They forced six turnovers and West shot three air-balls during the drought.
All told, Hobbs Jr. and his ball-hawking teammates forced 25 turnovers.
"They pressured us and we didn't take care of the ball," said St. Charles West coach Jeremy Jackson. "
Hobbs Jr. says his teams' defensive pressure has been the key to the four-game winning streak.
"We don't like losing, we found that out the hard way earlier in the season," he noted. "We've working on turning up the pressure and that's what got us going."
West stayed within striking distance and battled back to within 24-22 on a 3-pointer by Chris Percy just 35 seconds in the third quarter.
But North reeled off the next 10 points to take control, Sam Muzik began the blitz with a short jumper. Johnson followed with a tip-in. Newsom then added a basket and the Vikings were on their way.
The contest was the 10th in a 17-game three-day series that continues on Sunday.