Lockport’s Nathan Munson is loved by his teammates and coaches for his selflessness and his ability to set up other people for easy baskets.
For the junior point guard, dishing out the perfect assist is about as good as it gets.
“It’s about not being worried about making a mistake,” Munson said. “If one pass doesn’t go through, don’t worry about it. You have to see the next one that can get us an open shot or lead to a layup.
“When my pass leads to a basket for someone else, it feels great. Sometimes, it feels better than scoring.”
Munson was most definitely the table-setter Tuesday night. He dished out six assists and also added four points to help the host Porters to a 60-48 SouthWest Suburban Conference win over Homewood-Flossmoor.
Trace Schaaf led Lockport (18-4, 9-2) with 18 points and five rebounds. Twins Nojus and Nedas Venckus came through with 13 points apiece, while Grady Ruane finished with 12 points.
Darrius Hawkins Jr. scored 19 points for H-F (19-3, 10-1). Marvin Douglas and Danny Ruffin chipped in with six points apiece, while John Brown IV pulled down seven rebounds.
The third time proved to be the charm for the Porters, who lost two previous games to the Vikings — 64-57 on Dec. 19 in Flossmoor and 76-64 in overtime on Dec. 31 at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament.
“It feels good,” Schaaf said. “We knew we could play with these guys, and this time, we were able to execute toward the end and hold on to the lead that we had.
“We did a better job taking care of the ball late in the game, and I think that was the big difference between this time and the last two times we played them.”
Munson took responsibility for that. In the game at Pontiac, the Porters led by 12 points at halftime but let it slip away.
“Last time, I don’t think I played as great,” Munson said. “I had a lot of silly turnovers. This time, it was personal. I had to be better than I was and I know I can be better. This game, it was on me.”
Lockport coach Dave Wilson had a message for Munson before the game as well.
“Munson struggled with H-F at Pontiac,” Wilson said. “He was challenged individually to have a better performance. He controlled the tempo and took care of the basketball.”
Munson often found Schaaf under the basket for easy points.
“He’s one of the most unselfish players I’ve ever played with,” Schaaf said of Munson. “He doesn’t care how many points he scores. He just wants to win. That’s what a team needs is a point guard who can distribute the ball and get open looks for guys.”
The Porters led 28-26 at halftime and Munson sparked a 6-0 run to open the third quarter that put them in control for good.
First, Munson backed down Hawkins and scored inside. Then, he found Schaaf for a layup.
“Coach called the play,” Munson said of the first basket. “He wanted me to set the tone. Those first two minutes of the half can make or break you.”
Wilson knows having a reliable point guard can make or break a team. Even when he’s not scoring, Munson is a huge part of the Porters’ success.
“I told him in the very beginning of our relationship, ‘I’m going to be harder on you than most. You’re the point guard. You’re the head of the snake. You have to be my right-hand man,’” Wilson said of Munson. “Now, last year and half of this year, he’s been my coach on the floor when we need it.
“He’s doing everything a point guard needs to do to navigate the ship for a winning basketball team and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”