Junior guard Kamarion Cobb has taken on many roles for Bloom this year — from leader and ballhandler to mentor for his younger brother, Gianni, who has stepped up big as a sophomore.

His most important job, though, is to shoot.

With the Blazing Trojans and Marian Catholic locked in a defensive struggle Monday night, Kamarion Cobb knew he needed to inject some offense into the game.

“I was just waiting for the moment,” he said. “We were working together as a team and I was just looking for the big play. We stayed together as a team.

“I stick with the process and trust my teammates, and I’m ready to hit those shots when it’s time.”

Cobb came through right on time, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring 13 points to lead visiting Bloom to a 42-37 win over the crosstown rival Spartans in Chicago Heights.

Emondrek Erkins-Ford added 10 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots for the Blazing Trojans (17-5), while Jordan Brown scored seven points.

Jeremiah Jones led Marian Catholic (16-9) with 14 points — including 10 in the fourth quarter — and seven rebounds. Quentin Jones, who is not related to Jeremiah, added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

After gaining a bit of experience as a role player during his abbreviated sophomore season, Kamarion Cobb has blossomed into Bloom’s leading scorer, averaging 12.6 points this winter.

He scored five points in the third quarter to keep the Blazing Trojans in front at a time when no one else was producing. Bloom outscored the Spartans 6-2 in the third.

“He hits some really big shots,” Erkins-Ford said of Cobb. “He has an amazing corner three. He’s willing to take that shot and he’s got the confidence to do it. We can count on him anytime.”

Kamarion Cobb’s season has been even sweeter because he has had a chance to play with his brother. Gianni was held scoreless Monday night but is averaging 10.5 points off the bench.

“I love playing with him,” Kamarion said. “He makes a lot of good plays and he’s only a sophomore, so he’s got two more years to get better. Sometimes, I put him before me to make sure he succeeds.”

Kamarion Cobb’s 3-pointer with 3:45 left in the game gave Bloom a 37-29 lead.

Marian Catholic fought back behind Jeremiah Jones, who scored six consecutive points to cut the deficit to 37-35.

The Spartans’ potential game-tying 3-pointer with 20 seconds left was off the mark, however, and Erkins-Ford hit a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining to seal the win.

For Erkins-Ford, it was revenge a long time coming. In 2020, Marian beat Bloom in the sectional semifinal, right before the remainder of the playoffs were canceled by the Illinois High School Association due to COVID-19.

“We had a super team that year and we lost that last game to them, so I’ve been waiting for this game for a long time,” Erkins-Ford said. “This feels amazing.”

Aside from Quentin Jones, who had 12 points in the first half, the Spartans struggled to score until the fourth quarter.

“I told the guys before the game that if we get to 40, we’ll win,” Marian Catholic coach Mike Taylor said. “We couldn’t get to 40. That’s just kind of where we’re at.

“We miss free throws. We just can’t score. But we’re close and we’ll figure it out in the next three weeks.”

Meanwhile, Bloom hopes the win will provide a late-season boost.

“It’s never easy to win over here at Marian, so this is a big one for us,” Bloom coach Dante Maddox said. “We’re trying to get on a little roll and build some momentum going into the playoffs.”

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.