On Wednesday, the Associated Press released its Illinois Boys' High School Basketball Rankings.

Sitting atop the AP Illinois Class 3A Boys Rankings are the Dons of Notre Dame.

On Friday night in Niles, the Dons (22-3, 6-0) rolled out to a 26-8 lead after one quarter. At the half, they extended their lead to 53-29 and rolled to their sixth consecutive ESCC victory 68-46 over Nazareth (9-15, 3-3).

Benet Academy (17-5, 5-1), St. Patrick (16-5, 5-1) and Marian Catholic (17-6, 5-1) all won on Friday to remain one game behind the Dons' in the ESCC race with three games remaining.

On February 7, the Dons will host arch-rivals St.Pat's. The following Friday, February 14, the Dons travel to Lisle to take on Benet Academy.

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE EAST

No. 2 Joliet West 69 Romeoville 58

The AP Illinois Class 4A No. 9 Tigers (20-3, 12-0) won for the 20th time this season and clinched a tie for the SPC East with the win over the Spartans (13-12, 8-4). Up next for the Tigers is a Saturday night encounter with their old buddies from AP Illinois Class 4A Bolingbrook at Lewis University in Romeoville. Tip off is slated for 6 p.m.

The game will be the first of two games, in the 2020 Lockport Porter Shootout at Lewis with the host Porters (9-13) taking on the Cougars of Plainfield South (7-16) at around 8.

No. 3 Bolingbrook 73 Lockport 57

The Raiders traveled to Lockport on Friday night and raced past the Porters in the SWSC Blue rivalry game.

With the win, Bolingbrook (18-4, 2-0) keeps pace with Homewood-Flossmoor (18-2, 3-0) atop the SWSC Blue.

Next Friday night, the Raiders and the Vikings will battle for SWSC Blue supremacy in Flossmoor at 7.

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

No. 4 Benet Academy 58 Joliet Catholic 43

The Redwings (17-5, 5-1) kept pace with the top-ranked Dons (22-3, 6-0) in the ESCC with the win in Lisle

over the Hilltoppers

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE WEST

Plainfield North 67 Oswego 55

On Friday night in a must-SPC West game, the Tigers (13-7, 8-4) dismantled the SPC West leaders from Oswego (17-4, 7-3) before a raucous crowd on Plainfield's North Side. Oswego East (16-8, 9-3) moves atop the SPC West with the Wolfpack win on Friday over Minooka.

Three weeks from tonight, Friday February 21, the Tigers will host the Wolfpack.

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE EAST

Plainfield South 61 Joliet Central 53

On Plainfield's South Side, on Friday night, the host Cougars were looking for some revenge. Back on December 3, in The Old Barn at Joliet Central, the host Steelmen prevailed 57-53 over their guests from Plainfield South.

The Cougars came out shooting the lights out, to grab a 19-14 lead over the Steelmen after one quarter.

In a game typical of coach Lawrence Thompson Jr.'s style,the Steelmen (11-15, 5-7) clamped down on the Cougar shooters, holding them to just four second quarter point and raced past the Cougars for a 24-23 lead at halftime.

Both teams shot the lights out in an explosive third quarter, as the South reclaimed the lead 43-42, after three quarters. The Cougars (7-16, 2-9) picked up some crucial fourth quarter stops to roll to the huge SPC East victory.

Plainfield East 64 Plainfield Central 51

Back on Friday, December 3, 2019, the Wildcats of Plainfield Central put on a show for the home folks and romped past the Bengals 74-53. On Friday, January 31, turn-about was fair play as the Bengals (6-19, 4-8) rolled past the Wildcats (13-9, 6-5) before a raucous crowd on Plainfield's East side.

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Downers Grove South 82 Proviso East 77

Run-and-gun WSC Gold basketball was the name of the game at DGS on Friday. Running up-and down with the high-flying Pirates (12-10, 4-4) was no problem for Kris Olson's Mustangs (6-15, 4-4) of DGS as they raced to the big WSC Gold win on Friday.

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

Downers Grove North 51 Proviso West 35

The Trojans (11-12, 4-4) rolled to the victory in The Purple Gym to move back to .500 in the WSC Silver with the win over the Panthers (3-15, 0-6).