As much as the contributions and leadership of upperclassmen the likes of Baylor Griffin, Jelani McClain and Zach Tuxhorn would mean to Naperville North’s fortunes this season, another trio may prove to be just as vital.
With DuPage Valley Conference-leading Lake Park in town and starting together for the third straight game, Naperville North’s three sophomores—Mitch Lewis, Cam Hardy and Winston Elston—got the Huskies off on the right foot and finished the job when it counted.
Lewis’ game-high 20-point night, which included a 13-point fourth quarter, helped lead the way as Naperville North pinned the first DVC loss on Lake Park with a 53-49 victory on Friday in Naperville.
“I just knew that this was for the DVC. I mean, if we lost, then we weren’t going to be able to win it at all,” Lewis said. “So I just laid my heart on the line to do whatever I could (to help my team win). That’s what my mentality was.”
The lead already having exchanged four times midway through the fourth and with the two teams knotted at 42-42, a personal 6-0 run from Lewis, with a pair of Lake Park turnovers sandwiched in between, gave Naperville North (11-8, 5-2) the lead for good as it won its third straight game.
“Our defense was, I think, phenomenal and in my perspective, the 3-2 (zone) really worked and I think it was a good call,” Lewis said.
More importantly, in avenging their 40-29 loss in Roselle on Dec. 5, the Huskies moved within a game of Lake Park (18-4, 5-1) for the conference lead.
Picking up a pair of offensive fouls on Lancers’ senior guard Marcus McDaniel on two of the Lancers’ last possessions of the game while also forcing Stefan Meccia to travel with 24 seconds left in the game and with the Huskies up two, they gave the Lancers a dose of their own medicine.
“Both Mitch and Cam are extremely good defensive players. Cam gets the steal (late in the fourth) and then that’s how cocky Cam is—he tried to throw an alley-oop to Mitch,” Naperville North coach Jeff Powers said. “They don’t have (any) fear and that’s a beautiful thing. But (Lake Park) is a great team with a great heart. It’s hard to beat a great team.”
Naperville North blitzed Lake Park early to the tune of a 15-5 lead, which saw four different players score and the sophomore trio tally nine of the 15 points, with Deon Merrill putting in the other six.
Showcasing the defensive prowess that has allowed them to get off to such a great start this season, the Lancers outscored the Huskies, 11-4, to end the first half to only go into halftime down three points.
From there, McDaniel, who led the Lancers with a game-high 18, and Meccia, who added 11, helped the Lancers build a lead as big as five points late in the third after trailing for the entire game up until a Michael Karas basket with just over five minutes to play in the third.
But behind its brewing sophomore star in Lewis, a nice combined effort in the post from both Merrill and Tyler Bushman, who combined for 18 points and its defense coming through in opportune times, Naperville North survived.
Perhaps even more impressive, it won despite getting only nine combined points from Griffin and McClain as the sophomores continue to show Powers they’re not sophomores anymore.
“I was just very proud of our defense to start the game and how we kept at it. Mitch was pretty special (Friday) night but taking those charges, Bushman, was huge for us (Friday). … We had a lot of contributions from a lot of people (Friday night),” Powers said.
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