O’Brien: Lucas Williamson wills Young past North Lawndale

SHARE O’Brien: Lucas Williamson wills Young past North Lawndale
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Young’s Lucas Williamson (24) shoots a three against North Lawndale. Worsom Robinson/ For the Sun-Times.

Lucas Williamson has been one of the most productive players in the city over the past four years. He arrived at Young with plenty of hype, expected to be one of the best freshmen in the state. For the first three years of his career Williamson wasn’t a flashy player that posted high scoring totals. He was a gutty, workmanlike force that did whatever his team needed.

What Young needs now is points, and the 6-5 senior is delivering. He’s been posting big scoring totals in most games so far this season. On Wednesday at Collins he relentlessly attacked the rim, sometimes managing to get a shot off with three North Lawndale defenders draped all over him.

“The coaches told me to go to the basket, so I went to the basket,” Williamson said. “I knew they wouldn’t tell me something that was wrong and ultimately it was right.”

Williamson scored a game-high 32 points to lead the No. 11 Dolphins to an 88-86 win against No. 9 North Lawndale. It’s a crucial road win in the ultra-competitive Red-West.

“We played so bad that we were forced to play gritty and that’s not how we want to play,” Young coach Tyrone Slaughter said. “But it’s a win and we will take it on the road in the conference.”

Williamson was 11-for-18 from the field with 10 rebounds, four blocks and three assists. The spot Williamson was attacking is usually filled up by North Lawndale’s center, the beefy Leonard Caples. Caples sat our for disciplinary reasons according to North Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe.

“Big Caples would have helped us, with that mass,” Thorpe said. “That definitely hurt.”

The Phoenix (7-2, 2-1) led by 12 points with 3:10 to play in the third quarter.

“That’s been the spirit of this team so far,” Williamson said. “We’ve been able to come back from down 10, down five and close out. Everyone on this team believes in each other and what we can achieve as a unit. We all come together, we all lock in and buy in as a team and ultimately we can grind out games like this.”

Javon Freeman added 21 points, seven rebounds and four steals for the Dolphins (4-2, 2-0). The Seton transfer has adapted extremely quickly to Red-West play.

“Everyone believes in Javon and knows what Javon can do,” Williamson said. “In terms of getting used to it, it is just toughness, that is all it is and that’s one tough cookie right there.”

Steven Ross led North Lawndale with 22 points and seven rebounds and Martrell Barnes had 21 points and nine boards. Carlos Hines, the team’s star guard, finished with 12 points. He was injured with 1:38 to play in the first half and left the game. He started the second half and then fouled out with four minutes to play and the Phoenix leading 74-72.

North Lawndale turned the ball over 22 times.

“We are the best conditioned team in the city,” Williamson said. “There is nobody that runs more than us. When it is down to the fourth quarter in crunch time we have the edge in conditioning. It’s just all about focus and focusing on the little things in the fourth quarter.”

Young has had a successful December, knocking off its two major conference foes, Orr and North Lawndale.

“Just remember our names, because we are coming,” Freeman said.

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