Aberdeen Christian scored the first nine points of the second quarter and then produced the last nine points of the period to fuel a boys’ basketball win over Northwestern.

The sixth-rated Knights broke open a tight game thanks to their second-period blitz during a 71-60 Lake Region Conference boys’ basketball win over Northwestern at the Aberdeen Civic Arena Thursday night.

“Second and third quarter it was super fun to see really just the team rally around each other,” said Christian coach Matt Rohrbach. “We were getting layups, and offensive rebounds, and getting inside-out 3-pointers, and that’s kind of the way we script things.”

Christian outrebounded the Wildcats by a 52-39 margin, including collecting 16 offensive rebounds.

“They’re quick. … They’re strong, too. They’re long,” said Northwestern coach Anthony Redman. “That’s where they killed us, getting a lot of offense rebounds and getting second-chance points.”

The Knights received points from five different players in the second period, including some from reserves.

“They have a lot of guys out there. That’s what makes them tough,” Redman said. “And it’s just not the starters. They’ve got guys coming off the bench.”

Part of the second-quarter barrage included a 3-pointer from Grady Jett, who normally plays around the basket.

“I can hit open 3’s if I need to,” Jett said.

Christian eventually extended its lead to 53-24 with 3:15 left in the third quarter.

“We got our offense going,” Jett said. “We really got it flowing, so that really helped.”

However, instead of the game turning into a running clock, the Wildcats dug in, and eventually closed the margin down to just 11 points at the end of the game.

“We don’t give up. That’s kind of our mantra as a program is we don’t give up,” Redman said. “We work hard. I’m really proud of those guys. They didn’t lay down. They could have, but they didn’t.”

Ty Boekelheide, who finished with a game-high 23 points to go along with nine rebounds, helped to power the Northwestern attack.

“Coach encouraged us to drive to the basket and kick out to our shooters,” Boekelheide said, “so that’s what Tal (Talon Miller) and I really worked on doing this game.”

Brooks Jett and Luke Kaiser led a balance Christian attack with 15 points apiece. Loyall Smith-Wade added 14 points off the bench, including a slam dunk. Grady Jett and Charles Eichler each added nine points.

Grady Jett did a little of everything including leading the team with three steals.

“He was great,” Rohrbach said. “I don’t remember him missing a shot. … On a different team he could have so many more points. He’s just so unselfish. He just doesn’t even care.”

Northwestern played without starters Carson Ewalt and Jarren Haven, who were out with injuries. The Wildcats are looking for a big finish to their regular season.

“We’ve got five games left. I think we can win all of them if we really work hard and play well together,” Boekelheide said. “Hopefully get our starters back and be strong coming into regions.”

Christian, 11-2 on the season, plays at Webster on Saturday.

The Knights enjoyed their time back at the Civic Arena Thursday night after playing the majority of their games at the Christian School Gym this season.

“I definitely like the atmosphere,” Grady Jett said. “The atmosphere is great in here.”

It is possible the Knights could play a postseason game at the legendary facility next month.

“I’m excited to play here again if we do,” Grady Jett said.

NORTHWESTERN (9-5): Ty Boekelheide 11 1-1 23, Will Clemens 4 5-7 13, Wyatt Rahm 1 0-0 2, Talon Miller 8 0-2 16, Colton Smith 1 0-0 2, Drew Sparling 2 0-0 4. Totals 27-70 6-10 60.

ABERDEEN CHRISTIAN (11-2): Grady Jett 4 0-0 9, Brooks Jett 5 5-5 15, Dylan Hofer 3 1-2 7, Luke Kaiser 6 0-2 15, Loyall Smith-Wade 6 1-2 14, Raymond Rodriquez-Martinez 1 0-0 2, Charles Eichler 3 3-3 9. Totals 28-73 10-14 71.

Northwestern 14 20 32 60

Aberdeen Christian 15 37 55 71 3-point field goals – G. Jett, Kaiser 3, Smith-Wade. Total fouls – Northwestern 13; Aberdeen Christian 15. Rebounds – Northwestern 39 (Boekelheide 9, Clemens 8); Aberdeen Christian 52 (Smith-Wade 9, B. Jett 7). Turnovers – Northwestern 14; Aberdeen Christian 15. Assists – Northwestern 7 (Clemens 4); Aberdeen Christian 12 (Kaiser 4). Blocked shots – Northwestern 2 (Clemens 2); Aberdeen Christian 2 (G. Jett, B. Jett). Steals – Northwestern 7 (Miller 3, Clemens 2); Aberdeen Christian 8 (G. Jett 3, B. Jett 2, Smith-Wade 2).