Flowers in bloom for Bloom
Junior delivers doubledouble as short-handed Blazing Trojans top Thornton in rivalry game
Even though not too many people saw this coming, Santana Flowers has had a monster threegame stretch for Bloom.
The 6-foot-5 junior forward averaged 5.3 points in his first 16 games for the Blazing Trojans before breaking out against Thornridge, Mount Carmel and Thornton.
“We have some big players out with injuries, and I just have to do what I could do for the team,” Flowers said. “Before this, I was just doing what I’m doing now, but I’m earning more minutes.” And he’s a good earner. Flowers put together another strong effort Friday night with 12 points, 11 rebounds and four steals in a 57-52 Southland Conference victory over Thornton in Harvey.
Flowers, who scored 16 points against Thornridge and ramped that up to 20 in a stunning upset over Mount Carmel, did some of his best work for Bloom (14-5, 6-0) when guards Raeshom Harris and Jordan Brown were on the bench midway through the third quarter with foul trouble. Harris finished with 14 points and Brown had 10.
Thornton (8-8, 4-3) led 35-32 before a four-minute stretch where Flowers had six points, four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot and took a charge.
That helped the Blazing Trojans take a 44-39 lead, and they never trailed after that.
Harris, a senior getting attention from Toledo and NCAA Division II schools, wanted to be in there during that burst, but he did enjoy the show from the bench.
“Every game, you need your teammates to step up,” Harris said. Flowers, indeed, stepped up. “Santana brings toughness,” Harris said. “He can rebound, and he’s strong going back up. He’s gets