Hinsdale Central's 54-41 win over Minooka was anything but a textbook example of consistency.

The Red Devils trailed 19-13 after one quarter before snapping awake with a 28-4 run to close the first half.

"The first quarter was absolutely brutal, and I don't know why that is," said Hinsdale Central coach Ed Lynch, whose team had to overcome a 21-point deficit in its previous win (over Naperville North last month).

"In the second quarter I have to yell at them to play harder, and that's disappointing as a coach. But that second quarter is the team I envision, guys playing hard and getting after it. That was all defense."

Hinsdale Central's lead eventually grew to 50-25 with 2:20 left in the third quarter before another lapse ensued — a three-pointer by John Whitelaw with 5:50 left in the game was the Red Devils' last field goal, and Hinsdale Central made 1 of 9 free throws in the final quarter while also hurrying several shots down the stretcch despite the big lead.

"What was good to see is that everybody played, and all 15 guys contributed something to the win," Lynch said. "But right now we're holding guys accountable. If you miss a bad shot or don't box out, you're coming out. We drill and work in practice and guys don't do it in a game.

"We're a lot better than we're playing right now, and I have to figure out a way for them to get after it. We're not playing 32 minutes of basketball."

Nick Kladis' team-high 12 points included 10 in the first half. Whitelaw added 10 points and Clay Foster scored nine.

Kladis' 15-footer with 2:20 left in the third quarter gave Hinsdale Central a 50-25 lead, after which Minooka went on an 11-0 run.