Owen Carroll didn’t need to recreate his last-second heroics in Lyons’ 45-34 victory over Highland Park on Friday night. Not with Ian Polonowski taking charge in the middle.
Polonowski’s 20 points and 14 rebounds paced the Lions on Blackout Night, which since its inception in 2009 has grown into a must-attend occasion. Students fill over half of the big gym, the Lions wear their road black uniforms, and, thanks to senior night honors, halftime takes on Super Bowl lengths.
And the opposition pays the price. The big question Friday was whether the sugar high the Lions were on following their 58-55 upset of rival Hinsdale Central – where Carroll’s 51-footer at the final buzzer was the difference – would continue 72 hours later, or if the hosts would come back to earth.
They’re still in the air. Buoyed by over 2,000 fans and boosted by a defense that forced the Giants outside, the Lions ran off to an 18-8 lead early and controlled the tempo thereafter, advancing their record to 14-15.
“We realized this is it for us,” said Polonowski, whose 6-foot-7 frame wasn’t easily moved by the smaller Giants lineup. “I think (Carroll’s shot) got people in the stands and that helps us win. It gets loud in here. It led to us getting more energy.”
Polonowski was as much a defensive force as he was on offense. He and 6-foot-6 forward Marshaun Russell patrolled the paint with panache, and with the Giants’ 3-point game off kilter — pinpoint shooter Simon Moschin scored 12 points to lead Highland Park but was only 1-of-13 from beyond the arc — any comeback needed to happen down low.
The Giants crept within a point on Alex Kriser’s 3-pointer with 3:40 left in the third, but the Lions got back-to-back 3s from Carroll and another from Andrew Carlisle, aiding in regaining a six-point edge after three quarters.
A Polonowski 3-pointer two minutes into the fourth increased the margin to 11 and had the Giants (20-10) shaking their heads.
“It’s been a weird week,” Lions coach Tom Sloan said. “Tonight was filled with distractions before the game and halftime, so I was pleased they were able to keep pretty locked in on the game plan. I had a lot of concerns coming in. We did a very good job on the defensive glass.”
Lyons held Highland Park to 30 percent from the floor, and its 30-13 rebounding edge included six offensive boards.
The Lions had won three straight — all against teams with winning records, starting with a victory over Oak Park-River Forest — and were 6-4 in their last 10 entering the 4A playoffs.
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