Jack Tosh Holiday Classic: Thursday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lyons Roar Past Ignatius, Stay Unbeaten</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both Lyons and St. Ignatius were unbeaten in-state heading into this one. Lyons rolled early. Both [player_tooltip player_id='1048375' first='Nik' last='Polonowski'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1048328' first='Jackson' last='Niego'] impressed. But the standout name was senior Connor Carroll. The 6'4" wing scored 13 points in the opening half and found a bucket from all three levels of the floor. Ignatius would stay in it with [player_tooltip player_id='989270' first='Richard' last='Barron'] showing range for several 3's, and [player_tooltip player_id='939066' first='Jackson' last='Kotecki'] making plays on the interior. Ignatius trailed 33-27 at halftime. Lyons had a hot start in the 2nd half with Carroll hitting another 3 and Niego hitting a baseline jumper. [player_tooltip player_id='1048375' first='Nik' last='Polonowski'] kept the hot streak going and hit several outside shots in the third quarter. At the same time, [player_tooltip player_id='1048328' first='Jackson' last='Niego'] was doing everything on offense and making plays all over the floor. Lyons would rout the Wolfpack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>It's more than Christie at Rolling Meadows</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of Course, Cam Christie was his usual self in the semifinal against Bolingbrook with a 34-point outing. But I've been really impressed with the guys around him. [player_tooltip player_id='1215298' first='Mark' last='Nikolich-Wilson'] is your prototypical point-forward who can attack the basket inside and stretch the floor. Ian Milletic, a 6'6" sophomore, is a top player in his class who shot the ball confidently and held his own. [player_tooltip player_id='1048317' first='Foster' last='Ogbonna'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1371064' first='Tsvet' last='Sotirov'] are two more seniors who can score inside and produce heavily on defense. Rolling Meadows defeats Bolingbrook 76-61 and faces Lyons in the championship game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>York has a Talented Trio of Juniors</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>York's big man [player_tooltip player_id='1750705' first='Braden' last='Richardson'] found his groove early with 9 points in the opening quarter. He opened with several easy buckets on the interior and converted an and-one. Richardson stayed hot and knocked down a couple outside shots to extend the York lead. At the same time, fellow junior [player_tooltip player_id='1541232' first='AJ' last='Levine'] knocked down several difficult shots from midrange and behind the arc. His ability to dribble and break past defenders was impressive too. The Dukes held a 33-23 advantage at halftime. Both continued to impress in the 2nd half. Richardson found opportunities at the line and did a terrific job boxing out. [player_tooltip player_id='1541232' first='AJ' last='Levine'] knocked down a couple shots to help prevent a Shamrock comeback. Levine also forced several turnovers on defense. [player_tooltip player_id='1750611' first='Kyle' last='Waltz'], a third Junior, is a confident shooter who scored 10 points in this game. York would dominate St. Pats 57-39. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wheaton North Downs Glenbard West</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the first time I'd watched Glenbard West since their legendary 37-1 State Championship campaign last season. They graduated their top seven players, and are in the consolation semifinal against a team they routed by 46 points last postseason. The Hilltoppers had a 23-17 lead at halftime behind strong interior play from Logan Brown. But Wheaton North put on a defensive masterpiece in the third quarter, shutting out the Hilltoppers until the final seconds of the quarter. The Falcons held a 29-26 advantage heading into the fourth period and would hold on for a 48-40 win. Junior PG Jack Spears had 17 points to lead the way. The Falcons have already exceeded their win total from last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Future is Bright at St. Laurence</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vikings were off running with an 18-5 lead over Glenbard North after 1 with numerous forced turnovers and second-chance opportunities. The team is led by numerous electric sophomores in [player_tooltip player_id='1545122' first='Caleb' last='Lindsey'], [player_tooltip player_id='1766461' first='EJ' last='Mosley'], [player_tooltip player_id='1766469' first='Khalil' last='Jones'], [player_tooltip player_id='1550741' first='Jacob' last='Rice'], and several others. [player_tooltip player_id='1766461' first='EJ' last='Mosley'] showed lots of confidence from behind the arc and attacking the hoop, scoring a couple early baskets in both ways. [player_tooltip player_id='1550741' first='Jacob' last='Rice'] flashes tons of potential with his build and athletic abilities. He played excellent defensively and showed his ability to attack the hoop and shoot from outside. St. Laurence downed Glenbard North 50-32 and will face Wheaton North in the consolation championship game. Most of their key players play on the same AAU team together. With all that experience, they'll be a fun team to watch over the next two years. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->