The Lake Forest boys basketball team got a decisive 1-2 punch from senior center Evan Boudreaux and senior guard Noah Karras in the finals of the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic at York on Wednesday.
The two combined for 50 points as the Scouts had little trouble defeating Riverside-Brookfield 69-42 to win the tournament for the second year in a row.
“Defensively, we came out and set the tempo,” Lake Forest coach Phil LaScala said. “We had five guys working together and making good stops.”
For the second game in a row, Karras set the tempo early for the Scouts (14-0). He had 11 points in the first quarter, including three three-pointers in a row in the final minute to give the Scouts the lead for good.
“We were going back and forth,” Karras said. “And because everyone knows Evan, they’d send my defender in for the trap, and that gave me some great open looks.”
Boudreaux, who had been held to only four first-half points in the semifinal game against Lyons, was aggressive against the Bulldogs (13-1). He continued to make the defense collapse around him, and he drew fouls, which got the Bulldogs’ big men into serious foul trouble early.
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“He’s the man for us,” LaScala said. “He’s real competitive and takes this tournament very seriously. He competes every possession.”
Boudreaux and Karras put the game out of reach in the third, combining for 19 of the Scouts’ 22 points in the third. On the final play of the quarter, Karras tossed a pass under the basket to Boudreaux, who beat the buzzer with an easy layup to give the Scouts a 56-34 lead going into the final quarter.
Boudreaux finished with a game-high 29 points and 13 rebounds. Karras had 21 points and and was 5-of-7 from the three-point line.
Boudreaux was named tournament MVP. He set individual records for points scored (145) and rebounds (69). Karras was named all-tournament with his solid overall play.
“First and foremost, winning the team championship is great. Being able to come back here and win is a great feeling,” Boudreaux said.