Third quarter pushes Lisle past Peotone
The Lisle boys basketball team can point to the third quarter of Friday night's 61-42 senior night victory over visiting Peotone as the reason why the Lions put this one in the win column.
After leading just 26-25 at halftime, Lisle exploded for 19 points in the third period on 50 percent shooting and went on to outscore the Blue Devils 35-17 in the final two quarters.
"We finished a lot better in the third quarter," said Lions coach Mark LaScala. "It was senior night and there was a lot of adrenaline in the first half. We rushed to finish inside."
Lisle (12-11, 6-2 Interstate Eight Conference) was led in the third by junior Connor Webb, who scored 10 of his 16 points in that quarter.
His two unanswered baskets put the Lions up 39-29, and Peotone (4-16, 2-5) called its second timeout of the period trying to stop Lisle's momentum. While the Blue Devils edged the Lions 7-6 in scoring the rest of the way, Lisle led 45-36 at the end of 24 minutes.
"Connor knocked the lid off the basket, and that makes the other players more comfortable. We had a couple of key defensive stops and we were making some good outlet passes," LaScala said.
Webb said rebounding, especially in the third quarter, was crucial to Lisle moving ahead and staying there.
"Out offensive rebounding made getting the ball underneath the basket easier," he said.
The final period saw the Lions stay in control, outscoring Peotone 16-6 and holding the Blue Devils to just one field goal.
"We played more as a team," said Elisha Basnight, who scored a game-high 18 points. "We brought more energy to the team, and when that happens, we're tough to stop."
Jakub Kowal was the other Lion scoring in double digits with 11 points.
Lisle went into Friday's contest just one game out of first place in the IEC with Coal City in the lead and Westmont just a half-game ahead of the Lions.
Lisle returns to conference play Feb. 8 at Sandwich and then hosts Westmont on Feb. 15, which will end the regular season.
"We still feel we are in the race, that there are still things to play for," LaScala said. "You can't control what a Coal City is doing, but it would be great if that Westmont game meant something in the race."
Seniors Basnight, Kowal, Nick Martich, Jay McGrath and Damian Pacheco-Guerrero were honored before the contest. Webb said that was the main focus of the evening.
"We weren't thinking of conference. We wanted to get a great game for the seniors in front of the home crowd," he said.