Homewood-Flossmoor’s Brent Taylor was in his own little world.

The gym was full of screaming fans. It was hot. The action on the court was chaotic. The stakes and the pressure were sky-high.

So how was the senior guard feeling with all of that going on?

“Peaceful,” Taylor said.

Wait, what? Peaceful? What about the noise and pressure?

“I ignore that,” he said. “No matter what happens, it’s up to me. I like to be in control.”

Taylor helped control the defending state champion’s destiny Tuesday night, hitting a pair of huge 3-pointers in the final 10 minutes of a 41-36 victory over Bloom in the Class 4A Rich Township Sectional semifinals in Richton Park.

Oh, and the Vikings (30-3) only scored 10 points in those final 10 minutes — six by Taylor and four in the final 2:39 by freshman guard Darrius Hawkins. That’s how big the 6-foot-3 Taylor’s baskets were from the outside.

Taylor, a transfer from Lincoln-Way East, finished with 13 points and five steals and Jayden Tyler scored 10 points for the H-F, which plays either Marist or Rich Township at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the sectional championship game. Ethan Howard added nine points in the first half.Adam Page led Bloom (21-9) with 15 points and seven steals. Payton Edwards and Elijah Lovemore each had six rebounds.

The Blazing Trojans led 29-28 lead with 2:35 left in the third quarter when Tyler made a 3-pointer with 2:12 remaining and then Taylor followed with another at the 1:33 mark.

In a fourth quarter full of steals and missed shots, Bloom took a 36-34 lead with 6:19 left, but Taylor again hit a huge 3-pointer with 5:46 left to put the Vikings ahead for good.

“Brent shows up in big-time moments,” H-F coach Jamere Dismukes said. “If there are big-time moments or big-time games, he shows up no matter if it’s getting a basket or getting a rebound or getting a steal or a deflection.

“BT is always good in tough situations, and I’m just happy he’s on our side.”

Taylor recognizes the importance of other phases of the game when the scoring doesn’t come in bunches. He knew H-F was in a battle with Bloom and that his team needed to keep applying the defensive pressure.

“At the end of the game, if we weren’t scoring, we had to get stops,” Taylor said. “I kept telling them, ‘We have to get our stops.’

“We were able to do that, and ‘Hawk’ and I were able to score some points.”

Dismukes was happy the Viking could persevere during a rough game in the teeth of the playoffs.

“Hats off to that Bloom team — that’s a tough team, man,” he said. “They are healthy, and they have a tough team.

“Just being able to withstand a punch like that and pull it out when we probably played one of our worst games of basketball of the season, I’m just impressed with the guys to pull that out.”

Hawkins, meanwhile, worked his way into the starting lineup on Feb. 18 against Andrew. Dismukes said he earned it.

“He brings it every single day no matter if it’s a game or a practice,” Dismukes said of Hawkins. “He brings intensity and leadership plus toughness and focus.

“I’m happy he’s with us, and he deserves that role.”

Hawkins and Taylor also are on the same boat as both are in their first season with the Vikings.

“He brings energy, he’s a great teammate and he can put the ball in the basket,” Hawkins said of Taylor. “He handles the team well. He brings in that senior leadership, and I look up to him.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.