Scoring is only part of Yigit Akgunlu’s job for Reavis.
“I try to be a leader out there,” Akgunlu said after a 54-53 loss to visiting Tinley Park on Dec. 5. “I want to get our guys going. That’s the most important thing. …
“We’re sort of a young team with only one senior starter. My job is to lead the team, play hard and make sure we play together.”
And that role is something that Akgunlu has filled very well in the first five games of the season, according to Reavis coach Nick Bouhoutsos.
“Yigit’s a great kid,” Bouhoutsos said. “He’s unbelievable academically too in honors classes. … He’s definitely our leader out there.
“He’s our motor leader and when he goes, we go. He’s able to demonstrate that as a senior. He’s definitely taken on that role nicely.”
Akgunlu, a 6-foot-3 senior guard and a three-year starter, was the leading scorer for the Rams (2-3, 0-1 South Suburban Red) with 20 points, including 12 in the first quarter. DaMarion Dixon (15 points) and Roberts (11) also were in double figures for Reavis.
Trailing 44-39 after three quarters, the Titans outscored the Rams 15-9 in the fourth. After a basket by Akgunlu gave Reavis a 45-43 lead with 6:01 to play, Tinley Park began an 11-2 run to go up 54-47 with 3:03 left.
Reavis scored the next six points to draw within 54-53 on a steal and layup by Akgunlu with 1:09 left, but Tinley Park held on for the win.
“I feel like we lost focus,” Akgunlu said. “We kept turning the ball over. We played together in the first quarter. But at the end of the game, we played individually. When we do that, that’s where everything goes wrong.
“We have to play together and get better next week.”
Reavis, which led 19-8 after the first quarter, was plagued by poor shooting from the free-throw line. The Rams made just 55 percent (11 of 20) from the charity stripe.
“We’ve struggled lately, but we left it out there (Thursday) night,” Bouhoutsos said. “Our free-throw shooting was putrid and that dictated the game tonight.
“But we did take steps forward after the Oak Lawn loss (an 83-39 defeat on Nov. 29 in the third-place game of the Spartan-Ram Classic) and that was huge.”
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