By David Gross ’22

The Leo Lions celebrated Senior Night in dominant fashion at home Friday night, routing Wells 64-44 in a nonconference game to close the regular season with a 23-6 record, including a league-best 7-1 mark in the Catholic League White Division.

Next up for the White Division champs is the state tournament. Leo is hosting an IHSA Class 3-A Regional and will begin tournament play on Wednesday, February 25, against the winner of Monday’s game between Hansberry (9-19) and CICS Longwood (10-5). Leo’s Wednesday game is at 6 p.m. 

TF North (12-14) and Southland College Prep (15-14) are the other Leo Regional participants and will face each other on Tuesday for the right to advance to Friday’s title game against Wednesday’s winner. The regional champ advances to the Hillcrest Sectional, where Leo is the top seed. 

Before another good crowd in the Lions Den, Friday was a night to celebrate Leo seniors Michael Lewis, Xavier Smith, Jaivon Dale and Isaiah James, with Lewis, Smith and Dale joining the starting lineup. The Lions got off to a slow start and found themselves trailing 11-2. but they closed the first quarter on a  7-0 run to pull within 15-12 as the period ended.

Junior Asa Harris scored nine of Leo’s 12 first-quarter points.

 Wells (19-6, 7-1 Public League White West) ) still led 19-17 midway through the second quarter, but the Lions closed out the half on a 12-0 run to take control of the game. Their 10-point halftime lead (29-19) grew to 24 points during the third quarter, enabling Coach Jimalle Ridley to clear his bench. He used every Leo player in uniform, and all of them scored. 

Harris led the way with 11 points and four steals. Promising sophomore Brandal Orr scored nine points and with seven rebounds and four assists. Junior Nate Stephens took down 12 rebounds and had five blocks.

Cornell Barrow had a strong game for the Raiders with 20 points, four rebounds, three assists, seven steals and a block.  

Not even the referees’ ejection of Leo’s exuberant Lion mascot could deter the Lions from a dominant performance that was an ideal tune-up for what’s expected to be a deep run in the Class 3-A state tournament.