Leo 66, Riverside-Brookfield 50, Team Rose Shootout at Mt. Carmel 12/13

A 34-point, running-clock drubbing of winless Providence-St. Mel on Friday didn’t answer the questions facing the Leo Lions after De La Salle took them to the woodshed 63-37 on their own floor two nights earlier. 

On Saturday, against Riverside-Brookfield in the Team Rose Shootout at Mt. Carmel, Leo looked more like the team that had raced off to a 5-0 start this season. The Lions were impressively efficient in a 66-50 dismantling of the Bulldogs, a Class 4-A competitor from the Upstate Illini-East Conference who brought a 6-1 record in with them.

They looked ready to build on it when they buried four straight three-pointers to open the game, seizing a 14-8 lead. But with Karon Shavers on his way to the game of his life, the Lions (7-1) regrouped and scored the last eight points of the first period for a 16-14 advantage they would never relinquish. 

Shavers, a junior guard and a three-year starter, prevailed in a shootout with R-B’s smooth Cam Mercer, knocking down seven of 11 three-pointers to finish with a career-high 29 points. He was 5-for-6 on three-pointers in the first half for 17 points, offsetting the 13 Mercer scored while en route to 25.

Shavers also had five rebounds, four assists and only two turnovers in 30 minutes. Fellow junior Nate Stephens, demonstrably more confident in the leg he injured last season, scored eight points with a game-high eight rebounds.

Leading by four (46-42) heading into the final period, Leo spread the floor and went to a delay game, forcing the Bulldogs to foul if they wanted the ball back. The strategy worked – the Lions went 14-for-16 from the free throw line to put the game away. R-B managed just eight points in the period.

 On a day when leading scorer Brian Kizer (three points) was uncharacteristically quiet, Leo got a 20-point contribution from the four freshmen Coach Jimalle Ridley had in uniform, including 10 from Kierre Brooks. Elon Henderson, Tyler Thornton and Andre Tucker were the other freshmen who played.

A solid effort all the way around … and five days to practice and improve before the Lions face St. Francis de Sales (0-5) at Leo on Friday, December 19.

Leo Falls in De La Salle Trap in First Loss of the Season

By David Gross

The Leo Lions suffered their first loss of the basketball season, at home, 63-37 to Catholic League crossover foe De La Salle.  

The Meteors greeted the Lions with a half-court trap defense game that served them well for the course of the game.

The Lions successfully maneuvered through the traps early to take a 15-14 lead to close the first quarter on freshman center Elon Henderson’s put back for Leo’s only lead in the entire contest.

The Meteors took control with a 12-1 run in the first four minutes of the second quarter, led by sophomore guard Stephen Mixon, who scored eight of his 13 total points off the bench in that span. The Lions steadied themselves to get within six to end the first half.

The De La Salle trap took its toll in the second half – a gritty and foul-ridden affair for both teams that did not favor the home squad. Lion turnovers and an inability to penetrate the zone allowed the Meteors to control the defensive boards, while the Meteors took full advantage of countless second-chance scoring opportunities on the offensive glass.

The Lions failed to gain any sort of rhythm. Late in the fourth quarter during a stretch of rough play, both teams were assessed technical fouls. With four minutes left, the Lions were able to get all the reserves some playing time.

The Meteors (3-5, 0-2 CCL Blue) were led by Roosevelt Thomas who finished with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and a handful of steals; Remi Edwards finished with eight points, 15 rebounds, four blocks and a steal. 

Brian Kizer had 12 points to lead Leo. 

For Leo (5-1, 0-0 CCL White) the game marked the first of six games in 10 days. 

The Lions can bounce back in their first CCL White game of the season Friday night at Providence St. Mel (0-6, 0-1 CCL White) at 7 p.m., located at 119 Central Park Blvd.

Leo competes Saturday, December 13th in the Team Rose Shootout versus Riverside Brookfield at Mount Carmel High School at 6410 S. Dante Ave. Tipoff is 10:45 a.m.

ST RITA GAME RESCHEDULED TO JAN. 27TH, 7 p.m.

The Friday night (December 5) basketball game against St. Rita has been rescheduled because of a boiler issue. The new date is January 27 at 7 p.m.

Leo 42, Brooks 35, nonconference game December 2nd

By Dan McGrath

Intrigue over Leo’s 4-0 start and a matchup with fellow unbeaten Brooks College Prep brought a near-capacity crowd to the Lions Den on a cold December Tuesday night – a school night, no less.

The fans came for the basketball. What they got was a street fight.

The Lions prevailed 42-35 for their fifth win in eight days, interspersed with two round-trip bus rides from Chicago to Effingham – 840 miles total.

If fatigue was an issue – and it probably was – it was compounded by the visitors’ utter disdain for finesse. The Eagles were going to discombobulate Leo by playing bumper-cars basketball, and if the officials enabled it, so much the better. 

The Lions didn’t help themselves by missing eight straight free throws in one stretch, committing a passel of turnovers and rebounding as if stuck in a snowbank. But Brooks (3-1) was even worse, managing just 13 points in a wildly erratic second half. 

Junior Brian Kizer was Leo’s scoring leader for the fourth time in five games, going 9-for-9 at the free-throw line on his way to 14 points, with eight rebounds and three assists. Long-armed sophomore Aaron Torrence gave the Lions a lift with two layups, a putback and some determined rebounding, while fellow sophomore Brandal Orr buried two three-pointers and assisted on those two Torrence layups.

The Eagles got a game-high 15 points from Elijah Curl.

Coach Jimalle Ridley was back on the bench for Leo’s home opener after serving an IHSA-imposed four-game suspension over an improper scrimmage. Assistant Mario Pittman went 4-0 filling in for Ridley.

The Lion sophomores squandered a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and dropped a 35-34 decision to Brooks’ sophs, preventing a three-game sweep. Leo’s freshmen won 40-33.

The Lions are back in the Den on Friday for their Catholic League opener with St. Rita. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. 

Lions Start Strong

By Dan McGrath

Raise your hand if you saw the Leo basketball team getting off to a 4-0 start this season.

Now pat yourself on the back.

After a white-knuckle, last-second win at Crane Medical in the season opener, the Lions rolled up three straight W’s at the Effingham St. Anthony Turkey Tournament, beating Effingham High, Effingham St. Anthony and Edwardsville. They were scheduled to face Mattoon for the tournament title on November 29, but the snowstorm that blanketed the state and discouraged travel forced cancellation of the final round of games.

So the Lions headed back to Chicago without a trophy, but with the knowledge that their quickness, depth and defensive tenacity should enable them to be competitive in the Chicago Catholic League. 

The Crane game was something of a litmus test for the Lions: a Public League opponent on a Public League floor with Public League officials. But Leo held its own with the ultra-aggressive Cougars as the game swung back and forth all evening, with neither team leading by more than six points.

The Lions erased a five-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 43-all tie and had a slim chance of avoiding overtime when they inbounded with 1.7 seconds left … just enough time for freshman Elon Henderson to catch Asa Harris’ pass and flip in a three-pointer for the win. 

The Effingham proceedings were more mundane as Leo registered three victories by a total of 43 points.

• Brian Kizer’s 21 points and Henderson’s line of nine points, eight rebounds and three blocks carried the Lions past Effingham 53-27 in the opener.

• Leo’s 33 percent shooting and 16 turnovers helped St. Anthony hang around in Round 2. The hosts closed within 31-30 with just over three minutes to play, but Harris’ three-point play gave the Lions some breathing room, and Kizer’s four free throws sealed a 38-32 decision.

• The 53-42 victory over defending tournament champion Edwardsville was probably Leo’s most impressive, as the Tigers are a quality 4-A school from the St. Louis area. The Lions pulled away from a 34-all tie with seven minutes left to close the game on a 19-8 run and win comfortably. Kizer scored  21 points and newcomer Jeremiah Echols had 12, while Henderson and Nate Stephens provided rebounding and solid interior defense.

“They’re good,” Edwardsville Coach Dustin Battas said of the Lions. “They’re tough to play against because they’re fast and they can shoot, and they’re well coached.”  

With the Edwardsville win, assistant Mario Pittman remained undefeated as Coach Jimalle Ridley’s interim replacement. Ridley missed the Effingham tournament while serving a four-game IHSA suspension imposed when Leo was sanctioned for participating in a scrimmage before the official start of practice. 

Pittman also filled in with a win when Ridley served a one-game suspension following his ejection from the title game of the IC Catholic Christmas Tournament at IC Catholic last season.

The state’s three-point-shooting champion as a Leo guard in 2017, Pittman is now 5-0 as Leo’s coach. Ridley will be back in charge on Tuesday as Leo resumes what has the makings of an interesting season with a nonconference game against CPS campaigner Brooks (3-0) in the home opener at Leo. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

The Lions open the Catholic League portion of their Catholic League schedule at home against St. Rita on Friday, December 5, also at 7 p.m.  

St. Anthony Administration cancels the Thanksgiving Tourney

The tournament is cancelled due to weather.

Leo 53, Edwardsville 42 in Effingham St. Anthony Turkey Tourney

Leo 38, Effingham St. Anthony 32

Round 2, Effingham St. Anthony Turkey Tournament.

Leo completed a two-game sweep of the Central Illinois town of Effingham Wednesday night, following up Tuesday’s 53-29 handling of Effingham High with a 38-32 decision over Effingham St. Anthony in the St. Anthony Turkey Tournament.

But it wasn’t easy.

The Lions (3-0) never trailed after scoring the first eight points of the game and led by as many as 13 early in the second half. The pesky Bulldogs wouldn’t go away, though, their persistence enabled by Leo’s poor shooting (33 percent, including 4-for-14 on three-pointers) and careless ballhandling (16 turnovers.)

Gabe Looman’s putback bucket made it a one-point game (31-30) with just over two minutes remaining, but Asa Harris’ three-point play gave the Lions some breathing room, and Brian Kizer’s four free throws iced it.

After a Thanksgiving break, they’ll face Edwardsville, also 2-0 in the tournament, on Friday at 3 p.m. Saturday’s schedule will be determined by the results of pool play.

Kizer led the Lions with 10 points and Harris scored eight.

Leo 53, Effingham 29 in Effingham St. Anthony Turkey Tournament

Leo 46, Crane 43, season opener at Crane

By Dan McGrath

No matter how terrific a basketball career Elon Henderson eventually has at Leo, he’ll be hard-pressed to top his debut.

Exactly 1.7 seconds remained in a 43-all tie with Crane Monday night when Henderson, a 6-foot-7 freshman, took an inbounds pass from Asa Harris. Catch-and-shoot was a high-risk proposition with so little time remaining, so Henderson, stationed free-throw-line-extended left, just past the three-point line, redirected the ball as much as he shot it.

It left his hands on a high-arcing trajectory, then barely rippled the net as it dropped through for a three-point bucket that gave the Lions a hard-earned 46-43 victory in their season opener at the Chicago Legends Shootout at Crane High School.

Just like interim Coach Mario Pittman drew it up.

“It’s a play called four across,” Pittman said. “Asa’s supposed to inbound to the guy who has the best shot. And Elon is a pretty good three-point shooter.” 

Indeed, Henderson made three three-pointers in his high school debut to match Harris’ team-high nine points. Crane’s Jamier Montgomery never met a shot he didn’t like and his form is hardly textbook, but he willed his way to a game-high 15 points. Teammate Brad Blackman scored nine of his 10 in the second half, but offset them with seven turnovers. 

The game was more gritty than pretty, with the Lions back on their heels and trailing nearly all night against Crane’s attack-dog pressure. Pittman, mild-mannered by nature, got on his team for being soft after the hosts scratched out a 43-38 lead with just under four minutes remaining.

But Crain wouldn’t score again, undone by seven fourth-quarter turnovers. Brian Kizer brought the Lions back with a layup and a game-tying three, and overtime seemed likely after a two-minute exchange of empty possessions.

Then came Henderson, with a shot he’ll remember for the rest of his life.

So will Pittman – he remained undefeated in two games filling in for suspended Coach Jimalle Ridley.

“It would be nice to keep it going,” Pittman said as the Lions prepared to hit the road for Effingham and four games in the Effingham St. Anthony’s Turkey Tournament, beginning with a game against Effingham on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

The Lions will face host St. Anthony on Wednesday (8 p.m.) and Edwardsville on Friday (3 p.m.) after a one-day Thanksgiving break. Their opponent and start time for Saturday’s game will be determined by the results of three rounds of pool play.