Lions Outlast Mustangs In Basketball Thriller

's senior sharpshooter Nick Zeisloft turned 18 years old on Saturday.

Following Lyons' crucial 74-69 road triumph over Downers Grove South, he couldn't have asked for a much better birthday present.

"I wouldn't have had it any other way," Zeisloft said. "It's a good 18th birthday now, because if we didn't win, it probably wouldn't have been that great."

After trailing by as much as 12 points in the first half, the Lions battled back to narrowly overcome non-conference powerhouse Downers Grove South away from home. The win brings the La Grange side's record to 7-1 (2-0) going into the Christmas break.

"They shot very well in the first quarter, and we knew they weren't going to keep shooting that well all night," Zeisloft—who led Lyons with 15 points— said. "We stayed in it mentally and kept the game close. We were in it the whole time, and the big third quarter for was huge for us."

LTHS faced an eight point deficit going into halftime, but coming out of the interval, the team turned the 30-22 scoreline into a 48-43 lead after three quarters, mainly thanks to persistent rebounding and solid all-around production

"We know that when we're on our game, we can compete with the best," LT senior forward Nick Burt—who added 11 points— said. "What the game showed us is that when we play completely as a team, we are a tough team to stop."

A teeter-totter fourth quarter saw the Lions' lead cut to two points several times, but with clutch free throw shooting and good composure, Lyons Township did enough to seal the deal.

LT senior Dylan Fiedler scored 14 points off the bench and was a constant sparkplug to his team's cause, scoring several baskets that re-energized a Lyons team that hit only two of its first 11 shots.

"When I come off the bench, I look to just give some energy and help the team as a whole," Fiedler said. "I was able to get open looks and the other guys were able to get me the ball."

The total team effort was augmented by a strong traveling fan base that made its support easily audible throughout the game.

"It's great to have the student section's support, especially since [Downers Grove] had a really big crowd," Burt said. "When you get some momentum it just adds to it, especially in big plays when you have your peers cheering for you."

LTHS enjoyed one of the most balanced scoring it has seen all season, with each starter contributing at least eight points in the winning effort.

Downers Grove South experienced several stellar individual performances from junior forward Kevin Honn and senior center Ziggy Riauka, who scored 20 and 19 points, respectively.

Lyons takes an eight day hiatus before entering the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic, a locally prestigious tournament annually held at York High School.

"Even though this is a huge win, we have to keep our heads straight and focus on the [Jack Tosh] Tournament, which will have a lot of high caliber teams," Fiedler said. "Still, this is a big win."