Riverside Brookfield High School senior guards Steven Brown and Mehki Austin are basketball teammates again for the first time since grade school.
“I grew up with Steven,” said Austin, a transfer from Oak Park and River Forest. “He was kind of the reason of me coming over. He’s made it a lot easier. They’re a very welcoming staff, welcoming teammates. I’m starting to fit in more and more as we keep going. I like to play with energy and just go with what the team needs most.”
The pair enjoyed quite a victory Thursday as the Bulldogs defeated Lyons Township 71-56 in the third round of York’s 32-team Jack Tosh Holiday Classic.
RBHS (13-2), a top-eight seed, finished 3-1 and tied for ninth by beating Conant, 54-41, Friday. They suffered a last-second 53-51 loss to fourth-place Palatine in the second round on Dec. 27.
RBHS senior center Stefan Cicic was named to the 20-player all-tournament team for the second straight year.
LTHS (4-8) finished 2-2 and tied for 13th by beating St. Francis, 63-42 Friday.
The Lions visit RBHS on Jan. 26. In Thursday’s meeting, Brown delivered 26 points with four 3-pointers and eight assists after fouling out against Palatine with 7:19 left.
“It was a very nice win, especially after [Palatine], and it was LT so that made it better,” Brown said. “[Palatine] was a tough loss and I wasn’t even in the game. It was hurtful. Painful.”
Cicic (18 points, 8 rebounds), Austin (13 points) and sophomore Cam Mercer (11 points with 3 threes) also were in double figures.
Seniors Liam Taylor (23 points with 3 threes), Brady Chambers (11 points), Jimmy Pajauskas (9 points) and Caleb Greer (9 assists) led the Lions.
RBHS started 3-for-16 shooting but finished 25-for-38. After missing his first three shots, Brown made his last 10, starting early in the second quarter.
“I didn’t realize that. I think [after] my fourth 3, I felt it,” Brown said.
With offense, and defense, the Bulldogs turned a 34-28 halftime deficit into a 52-49 lead after three quarters. Then they scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter.
“[At halftime] I got on us about playing defense,” Brown said. “We came out and took pride in our defense. It showed and it turned into offense.”
“I was really proud of how Steven kept the guys together. He was a very good leader in addition to making shots,” RBHS coach Mike Reingruber said.
“It helps when you put the ball in the basket. You look like a much better team. We’ve got good shooters and good shooters have to keep shooting. It’s contagious sometimes and that’s what it was in the fourth quarter, second half.”
For Austin, it was the first time his team ever had beaten LTHS. Austin had eight points in the fourth quarter with two 3s. The second opened a 67-53 lead with 3:05 left.
Brown and Austin played AAU basketball with the Mac Irvin Fire. They attended sixth grade at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School in Oak Park before Brown moved to Riverside.
“He’s my brother. We’re close and it’s very great [being teammates again],” Brown said.
The Bulldogs trailed Conant 37-27 in the third quarter before prevailing behind a 21-2 run. Cicic (19 points, 12 rebounds), Mercer (17 points) and Danny Loftus (5 rebounds) paced that comeback.
“To go 3-1 in a tournament like this, as loaded as it is, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy,” Reingruber said. “I’m happy where we’re at, but I think we’ve got a long way to go and we’re going to keep trying to get better.”
Cicic averaged 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds for the tournament with another double-double against Palatine (14 points, 12 rebounds).
The Bulldogs led Palatine 42-39 entering the fourth quarter but needed a four-point play from Mercer for a 51-51 tie with 1:26 left. The Pirates won on a last-second layup off a cross-court pass from the three-point line off an inbounds play with 3.6 seconds.
“[Palatine] really brought our energy down, but against Lyons we really brought it back. We finished out 3-1 so I feel like that was good for us,” said Cicic, a transfer last season from Notre Dame in Niles.
“Last year was my first year here. I didn’t really know much about this tournament. This year I’ve improved as a player, a lot more confident. I’m just doing my game, playing my game.”
The Lions also lost to Yorkville 64-55, Dec. 27, after leading 30-25 at halftime. Michael Reilly (14 points with 4 threes), Chambers (12 points, 16 rebounds), Taylor (12 points) and Greer (7 assists) led the Lions.
In Friday’s third quarter, the Lions outscored St. Francis 16-2 to open a 50-28 advantage. Chambers (19 points, 12 rebounds), Taylor (11 points), Ian Polonowski (9 points) and Greer (6 assists) paced the victory.
“The guys continued to play solid defense in the second half. On the offensive end, the guys handled the pressure and took quality shots,” LTHS coach Tom Sloan said.
“Yorkville and R-B are both very good teams with very good players. Both took advantage of defensive mistakes if we made them. They also had players make tough shots. [Our] group continues to improve offensively and defensively. We hope to build on these experiences.”
Taylor (23 points with 4 threes), Chambers (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Greer (7 assists) helped the Lions open with an encouraging 62-61 victory over St. Patrick, Dec. 26.
LTHS led 55-48 after Chambers’ three with 5:13 left but St. Patrick pulled ahead 56-55.
Chambers’ three with 41 seconds left put the Lions ahead 62-61. With 4.9 seconds, the Shamrocks failed to connect on an inbounds pass in the lane, Polonowski stole the ball and the Lions ran out the clock.
“I’m pretty comfortable with [threes]. I air-balled a shot before but came back and drilled a big one so it was nice. You’ve just got to stay confident in your shot,” the 6-6 Chambers said.
“The last four minutes, we all stuck together. Even though they pulled ahead it was nice that we just kept playing together.”
Brown (18 points, 8 rebounds), Cicic (18 points), Austin (14 points, 5 assists) and Loftus (13 points) paced the Bulldogs’ 65-51 opening victory over Minooka Dec. 26.