Glynn Watson, St. Joseph race past Hillcrest

The wrist was heavily taped but he moved with ease and purpose. Glynn Watson made it all look direct and simple.

The senior point guard scored a game-high 25 points and dished out four assists in orchestrating the St. Joseph offense with flair and style as the No. 5 Chargers knocked out No. 14 Hillcrest 76-58 in a Proviso West Holiday quarterfinal Tuesday in Hillside.

St. Joseph (10-1) advanced to Friday’s second semifinal against Catholic League rival No. 2 St. Rita. Watson missed the conference game two weeks ago with an ankle injury and St. Rita ran away with the victory.

The Nebraska recruit showcased his seemingly effortless style, gliding to the rim or pulling up for soft jumpers off the glass. Watson shot 9-for-12 from the floor and made all six of his free throws.

He converted 5 of 8 shots in scoring 13 first half points as St. Joseph fought off an early deficit for a 32-30 lead at the break.

His running mate, Northwestern-bound Jordan Ash, also dazzled with 20 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Watson and Ash alternated starring roles during a second half knock out as the Chargers seized control with a 19-4 burst that flattened the Hawks (9-2).

Ash ignited the run late in the third quarter by rebounding a Hillcrest miss and sprinting the length of the floor for a monster dunk that he was fouled on. He completed the three-point play as St. Joseph led 50-40 at the start of the fourth quarter.

Toledo recruit Taylor Adway scored 16 points to lead Hillcrest. Turnovers and the inability to control Watson in the open floor doomed the Hawks’ upset bid. Guard DeAngelo Isby scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half.

One of the state’s top-rated juniors, 6-9 Nick Rakocevic, also recovered from early foul trouble that limited him just one point in the first half. Taking advantage of Watson’s ability to break down the Hawks’ defense with his penetration, Rakocevic made repeated thrusts at the rim, scoring on a variety of tip ins and post moves.

He scored 12 points and added seven rebounds.

George McDaniel contributed nine points for Hillcrest.