High-scoring guard Jakob Blakley leads Payton past Carver in the Public League playoffs

Payton senior Jakob Blakley can score 30 or 40 points if the occasion calls for it.

He has been doing it all season.

But he also can affect a game in other ways when the Grizzlies get offense elsewhere, as they did Tuesday.

Blakley, who entered the game averaging 31 points, provided 18 points, eight rebounds and sticky defense as Payton beat visiting Carver 61-49 in the first round of the Public League playoffs.

Kai Fogelson added a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies (9-13), and Myles Townsend had 12 points.

Blakley’s contributions don’t even end on the court.

‘‘He’s probably the funniest guy I know,’’ Fogelson said. ‘‘He just brings up the team chemistry and brings up our mood. He leads us through everything.’’

Blakley isn’t shoot-first, especially now that Fogelson is back at full strength after dealing with a variety of injuries earlier in the season. The Division I recruit — he’s heading to LeMoyne of the Northeast Conference — shot 8-for-16, a typical shooting line for him.

Having Fogelson healthy is a game-changer for the Grizzlies, Blakley said.

‘‘Especially when they come double me . . . I can kick it out,’’ he said. ‘‘And then to just rely on him to make shots has just been amazing.’’

So are Blakley’s scoring numbers, which have been well beyond what he envisioned coming into the season.

‘‘I was honestly just expecting to come in and play basketball for Payton and just do my best to try to get a win every single day,’’ Blakley said. ‘‘But I’ve been really thankful for the numbers I’ve been able to put up, for sure.’’

Ditto for Grizzlies coach Reggie Bates.

‘‘Jakob Blakley has had probably the top senior season of any guard in the Chicago Public League,’’ Bates said. ‘‘He’s just a winner; he does whatever the team needs. We got a couple of our shooters going, and he fed the hot hand. That’s what leaders do. He’s a selfless kid.’’

Payton never trailed, going up 31-20 at halftime and stretching its lead to as many as 19 points in the fourth quarter.

Jamari Milner scored a game-high 21 points for Carver (13-10), and Zoquan Lee had 16 points and eight rebounds. Trevion Shatteen added four points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

It has been an emotional season for the Challengers. They won the White South to earn a promotion to the Red next season, but longtime coach Johnnail Evans, who beat cancer twice, died Dec. 30 at the age of 61.

‘‘He’s one of the great coaches of all time but, even better, one of the great people of all time,’’ Antonio Wiltz, who took over as Carver’s interim coach after Evans’ death, said earlier this season.

The Grizzlies, meanwhile, have had some ups and downs, including a six-game losing streak. But they also have quality victories against Westinghouse and Lincoln Park.

‘‘We’ve been playing well,’’ Bates said. ‘‘The second half of the season, we’ve hit our stride. I know we go into a juggernaut of probably Curie in the next round, but we play tough competition all season. That’s what Red West basketball is all about, and we look forward to the new challenges.’’