LT Sports Roundup: Girls Basketball Wins in OT; Boys Surprise OPRF

Lyons Township girls basketball player Ashanti Davis hadn’t scored since the first half of Tuesday’s game against York.

With the outcome on the line, Davis didn’t hestitate wanting the ball.

Davis took the pass from Kayla Morrissey at the top of the key, drove the lane and scored with nine seconds left to lift the Lions to an emotional and important 46-44 West Suburban Conference Silver Division victory in La Grange.

Now LT (12-6, 5-3 in Silver) is still in the conference race with its next game against first-place Proviso West (14-7, 6-1) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in La Grange as part of LT’s Pack the Place lineup.

“Ashanti’s great in the open court, but what was great about that shot was Ashanti finished in the half-court set,” LT coach Katie Meyers said. “She may not have had any basket in the second half, except for one, and that’s all I care about right now. She took it upon herself and finished a clutch shot when it mattered the most.”

Senior Colleen Connors led the Lions with 16 points, including a three-pointer, and had four key steals, followed by junior Davis (10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, 2 blocks), Sara Beck (9 points, 11 rebounds), Clare Polega (5 points, 6 rebounds), Maggie Orlowski (4 points, 2 rebounds), Morrissey (4 rebounds) and Victoria Swift (2 rebounds).

The Lions got the ball back after Colleen Connors stole the ball moments after her conventional three-point play tied the game 44-44 with 30.6 seconds left. York (9-10, 4-2) called two timeouts and set up a last-second inbounds play with 1.2 seconds left but turned the ball over when an offensive foul was called for an illegal screen.

The Lions not only bounced back from a 50-45 loss to rival Hinsdale Central Saturday in La Grange, but also trailed York 32-24 entering the fourth quarter and 41-37 early in the overtime. 

“What better way to go into the Proviso West game with some more confidence,” Meyers said.

“For our team to do that is a special moment for me because traditionally, in pressure situations in the past few years, we crumbled. Of course, there are things here and there tactically that were well executed. However, the greatest thing today was the mental toughness they showed in the moments when it mattered most, whether it was Ashanti hitting that last-second shot, Colleen making a layup and free throw or the defensive pressure, which was a total team defense in the final few minutes.”

York had scored the first two baskets of overtime on second-chance shots. Beck, who scored all nine of her points after halftime, then scored off a pass by Connors, and Connors got a steal, was fouled and sank both free throws for a 41-41 tie with 2:00 left.

The Dukes pulled ahead by hitting 3 of 4 free throws. Connors then made a quick drive along the left of the lane and earned the game-tying three-point play.

“Colleen Connors played amazing defense and she was so clutch (on the three-point play). That was the difference maker,” Meyers said.

Against Hinsdale Central (7-11, 4-4), the only team to beat Proviso West in Silver action, the Lions fell victim to two factors that nearly cost them Tuesday, missed layups or inside shots and allowing opponents offensive rebounds.
LT, which trailed 28-21 at halftime and 41-34 after three quarters, had beaten Hinsdale Central  58-41 Dec. 3 in Hinsdale.

Davis (19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals), Connors (10 points with trey, 6 rebounds), Morrissey (4 points, 4 rebounds), Swift (4 points, 3 rebounds), Polega (4 points, 2 rebounds), Beck (2 points, 5 rebounds), Morgan Houk (2 points, 2 rebounds) and Orlowski (3 rebounds, 2 steals) led the Lions.

Davis had eight points in the first quarter and nine in the fourth quarter. Connors had nine of her 10 points, including her three, in the third quarter.

Freshman Gabrielle Rush (21) and junior Lily Sarros (19) combined for most of Hinsdale Central’s offense. They also were a combined 15-for-21 from the free-throw line.

“The girls did great in the (York) overtime win, but we’ve got to correct the defensive rebounds (we’re not getting),” Meyers said. “I tell them they rebound for eight minutes of the game. The other three quarters are lost. And that’ll hurt a team down the road.”

LT boys basketball

Senior guard Kenneth Smith and his Lyons Township boys basketball teammates took their games to an even higher level Friday.

Smith scored a career-high 28 points, and the Lions continued their surge impressively by pulling off a 65-53 victory over Oak Park-River Forest Friday in La Grange that handed the Huskies their first West Suburban Conference Silver Division defeat.

Super sub Jarryd Heath added 12 points on four three-pointers, followed by Matt Robare (9 points) and Chris O’Reilly (8 points).

The Lions (6-9, 2-2 in Silver) have won four in a row and five of their last seven.

“(Oak Park) had been undefeated in the league and as good as anybody this year so far so it was a big confidence builder,” LT coach Tom Sloan said. “The kids played very well, handled their pressure in the second half very well, made shots, made free throws."

Smith, LT’s leading scorer for the season, already had 15 points by halftime as the Lions built a 36-19 lead after a 23-point first quarter. Smith had a key conventional three-point play when OPRF (10-4, 4-1) tried to rally in the third quarter and helped seal the victory in the fourth quarter at the free-throw line, where he finished 8 for 9 overall.

“Against a team like Oak Park, which pressures, you get chances in the open floor and in transition, and Kenny’s really good finishing in those situations,” Sloan said. “In the second half, he had a couple of three-point plays when they were out pressuring. He got past the guy, got to the basket. He just had a lot of opportunities come through the flow of the game.”

The Huskies kept battling. They closed to within five points in the third quarter, but Heath delivered his final trey and Smith followed with a three-point play to get the lead back to 11.

“The big thing in the second half was we did not get passive. When they came and pressured, we still looked to score,” Sloan said. “When you get passive and don’t think about scoring, that’s when you turn the ball over. When you make a couple of passes and get a wide-open chance at the basket, you’ve got to take advantage and that’s what the kids did.”

LT wrestling

Lyons Township wrester Carter Beebe is putting on a strong finish to his senior year. 

Although the Lions lost 42-21 Thursday to Oak Park-River Forest, the No. 1 Class 3A team in the IllinoisMatmen.com Jan. 11 rakings, Beebe had perhaps the most impressive of the Lions’ five bout victories in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division duals.

Beebe earned a 9-6 victory at 126 pounds over Larry Early, ranked No. 5 at 120. Beebe (20-11) has finished fourth at regionals the past two years, one spot from advancing to sectionals, but this year's overall record against tough opponents has him joining sophomore standout A.J. Villarreal (25-7) as the only Lions currently with at least 20 victories.

“It was a great win (for Beebe). The way our schedule is designed, he’s wrestled the best kids in the state in his weight class,” LT coach Griff Powell said.

“I think he’s wrestling better. He’s starting to click now. And that’s what we’re going for, (the postseason in) February. He’s definitely getting better and he proved it this weekend. There were critical errors (he made) in a lot of matches last year and early this year where he’d give up big points and try to catch up and sometimes just run out of time. He’s more disciplined on his feet. He’s getting away on the bottom and turning people on top. If you do those three things, you’re going to be successful.”

Senior Adam Rodgers made a triumphant return to the lineup with a 4-2 victory at 285/heavyweight over state-ranked Marq Brumant. Rodgers (17-5) hadn’t competed since the Crown Point (Ind.) Invite Dec. 17.

Villarreal continued his strong season with a pin of Cameron Harris at 5:55 of the 126-pound match after a late takedown to move ahead 7-6. Also winning were Connor Condon with a technical fall (16-1 at 138 pounds) and Chris Letsinger with a 15-3 major decision at 106.

Villarreal and Rodgers were the lone Lions to win all three of their matches at Saturday’s home quadrangular. LT (9-9, 1-3 in Silver) defeated DeKalb 36-24 and lost to Conant 33-32 and Libertyville 36-18.

The previous weekend, LT lost its Silver bout with Downers Grove North 32-24 and went 2-1 at the Lincoln-Way Central Quad Jan. 7, beating Warren 38-25 and Hinsdale South 50-18 while losing to the No. 8-rated host Knights by a deceptive 51-9 score.

In the exciting team victory over Warren, previously a top-20 ranked team, Villarreal lost 9-7 in overtime at 132 and was among many tough losses against Lincoln-Way Central, being edged 4-3 at 132. Both opponents are state ranked.

“In that (Lincoln-Way Central) match, we lost every close match. I’d say we lost five or six one- or two-point match. But they do have an outstanding team,” Powell said.

Villarreal earned a pin against Downers North at 126, and Jaime Jones (17-6), ranked No. 6 at 182, earned a 21-6 technical fall. Other LT winners were Beebe (16-5 at 120), Eric Rende (2-1 at 170), Justin Fuller (3-2 at 195) and Letsinger (5-2 at 106).

The Lions play host to rival and No. 11-ranked Hinsdale Central Friday and compete at the Oak Park-River Forest Invitational Saturday.

LT gymnastics

Lyons Township freshman Kelsy Kurfirst didn’t just have one of the best performances of her early high-school gymnastics career Saturday.

It was among the best overall individual invitational showings in LT program history.

Kurfirst swept top honors in all-around and all four events with her 38.10 total that helped the Lions score a season-high score 142.325 points for second at Fremd’s eight-team Mari-Rae Sopper Invitational in Palatine.

Kurfirst, who won the all-around title by .9, captured titles on floor exercise (9.5) by .1 and vault (9.65), uneven parallel bars (9.55) and balance beam (9.4) titles by .05.

The talented field was led by perennial power Fremd, sixth at state last year, which won with a season-high 147.60 points.

“(Kurfirst) rocked. But what’s most exciting is we’re still not there yet. I think my favorite part of her gymnastics is we’re not by any means done adding skills and adding the challenges for her,” LT coach Kari Karubas said.

“(As a team) we still have a lot of work to do but we’re on the right path. I can’t be disappointed. The team is really cohesive and starting to understand competition and the nerves, which needs to happen at this point. What I am seeing in the gym and what I am seeing in competition still does not reflect itself and we need that to happen.”

Kurfirst came through Saturday by landing her layout Yurchenko vault and flip-flop, flip-flop layout flight series on balance beam. She nearly added a harder dismount off the uneven bars Saturday, a double back flip with a full twist.

“It just wasn’t the right time to put it in a routine, but we’re close to getting it,” Karubas said. “Very impressed with Kelsy, she’s solid, getting consistent – a good competitor.”

With its five-gymnast lineup of junior Maren Craig, seniors Kalen Iffert and Ali Stuck and freshman Kelly Ryser, LT posted a season-high score for the fourth meet in a row following winter break. Instead of the usual five gymnasts per event, teams were allowed to enter six with the top four scores still going toward the team score. LT stayed with its regular lineup, although Ryser did not vault.

Craig was fifth in all-around (35.40), followed by Iffert (12th, 33.975) and Stuck (15th, 33.40).

Craig was fifth on vault (9.3), ninth on uneven bars (8.85), 10th on floor (9.1) and 18th on beam (8.15).

Stuck was eighth on vault (9.1), Iffert was 10th on vault (9.025), tied for 12th on floor (9.05) tied for 16th on uneven bars (8.4) and Ryser was 14th on uneven bars (8.55).

“(Our gymnasts) are getting more consistent, they’re cleaning up (routines), they’re enjoying competition more, which is important to me because it takes the nerves down a lot,” Karubas said. “I’m seeing a lot of the hard work being transferred into competition. (But) I am still not satisfied.”

On Jan. 11, the Lions moved to 3-1 in West Suburban Conference Silver Division duals with a 142.15 to 130.50 victory at Oak Park-River Forest.

Kurfist won all-around (36.90), vault (9.65) and uneven bars (9.3) with Craig (35.65), Ryser (34.35) and Iffert (34.30) sweeping second through fourth in all-around.

Iffert won floor (8.9), and Craig won beam (9.35). Kurfirst (9.15), Ryser (9.1) and Stuck (8.8) and Iffert (8.45) swept second through fifth on beam, Kurfirst (8.8) and Craig (8.65) were second and third on floor, Craig (8.6) and
Ryser (8.55) were second and third on uneven bars and Craig (9.05) and Stuck (9.0) were third and fourth on vault.

LT swimming and diving

Lyons Township divers competed at the Hinsdale Central Diving Invitational Saturday.

Craig Pace (195.45 points) and Jimmy Woulfe (122.10) were 16th and 25th on the varsity level, and Matt Benz (109.15) was 21st on the sophomore level.
LT swimmers return to action Friday at Oak Park-River Forest followed by the Downers Grove North Invitational Saturday.

LT boys bowling

In its third season of existence and second as a varsity program, the Lyons Township boys bowling will try for its first state team berth at the Hinsdale South Sectional Saturday at Willowbrook Lanes.

The Lions need a top-two finish to advance after returning their entire sectional lineup from last year, when their 5,889 finished fifth behind advancing teams Oak Lawn (6,179) and Lemont (6,134).

Oak Lawn again is part of this year’s sectional field along with Argo, Bogan, Brother Rice, Curie, Hinsdale Central, Hinsdale South, Hubbard, Kennedy, Morton, Reavis, Richards, St. Joseph and St. Laurence.

LT finished 10-0 in duals with victories over sectional foes Hinsdale Central (twice), Hinsdale South, Morton and Richards. The Lions’ final scheduled dual Jan. 12 with Andrew was cancelled.

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