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Hard work pays off for Lisle

Though the won-loss record hadn't been showing it, Lisle's sometimes-unnoticed effort plays have begun paying dividends.

The Lions boys basketball team bucked the recent trend of hard-knock losses Tuesday night, scrapping its way to a 54-42 victory over Reed-Custer in Lisle.

The Lions (8-12, 3-4 Interstate Eight Small) and Comets entered the fourth quarter tied at 33-33 before the home team's defense and rebounding tenacity eventually picked up a spotty offensive performance.

"We didn't shoot the ball great from the line, but we got offensive rebounds there," Lions coach Mark LaScala said. "Those little effort plays on defense and little effort plays on the glass paid off."

Lisle converted just 19 of its 33 free-throw attempts on the night but sank 10 in the final quarter to distance itself from Reed-Custer (5-13, 1-5).

The Lions notched the quarter's first five points, building a 38-33 advantage and allowing the home team a bit of breathing room. Junior forward Phil Palicka, battling flu-like symptoms, banked in consecutive free throws midway through the fourth to build Lisle's lead to 46-35.

"He provides a lot of low-post offense," LaScala said. "Especially for a junior, he's got a good knack around the basket and finishes well.

"We want to get him the ball whenever he's in the game."

Normally a starter, Palicka initially struggled to adapt to the change of scenery but finished with eight points and a pair of rebounds.

"It was hard because I wasn't getting my consistent minutes," Palicka said. "I couldn't really get a rhythm going today."

Luckily for Lisle, senior guard Marcus Wilson sustained his rhythm all day, pouring in a game-high 21 points.

"Just attacking the basket," Wilson said of his success. "I played as hard as I could and did what I could do."

Though the Lions weren't able to play the up-tempo style originally planned against Reed-Custer, no one complained about a win.

"We hoped the game would go up and down a little bit more, but early on we weren't hitting on all cylinders. We were getting a lot of tips but not getting the loose ball, getting a lot of tips but not converting," LaScala said. "One of the reasons it was 33-33 after three quarters is because we never quite got it going - until the end."

Reed-Custer's Steven Davis laid in a basket with 4:40 to go in the third quarter, tying the score at 29-29 and erasing Lisle's 5-point halftime lead. Tyler Ricketts paced the Comets with 15 points.