Everything about the way Lorenzo Edwards shot the ball from the perimeter looked good.
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The result of those shots couldn’t have been worse, but the 6-foot-7 Lake Forest senior does not need to make an outside shot to be a dominant high school player.
Tuesday night against No. 17 Lake Zurich was Exhibit A.
One of the top unsigned seniors in Illinois, Edwards scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half to lead the Scouts to a 44-38 home North Suburban Lake victory.
All eight of Edwards’ field goals were from 3 feet and in, including a dagger of a two-handed jam with 45 seconds left as Lake Forest (11-7, 4-3) remained alive in the crowded conference race.
“Of course it’s going to be frustrating not seeing the ball go in, but I just had to adjust and find other ways to get the ball in,” Edwards said. “I had to be more patient on offense and get looks I know I can score..”
Lake Forest maintained a slim lead most of the night, and when Lake Zurich (16-5, 4-2) briefly took over in the third quarter, Edwards came to life.
The lefty scored eight straight Lake Forest points to half Lake Zurich’s momentum after Bears took a four-point lead, and he put the Scouts ahead for good at 37-34 on a three-point play with 2 minutes, 56 seconds left.
The top five teams in the North Suburban Lake are now separated by one game.
“Definitely a big win for us,” Edwards said. “We have something to prove and we’re definitely going to come out ready to play.”
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.
Player of the game: Lorenzo Edwards, Lake Forest, 20 points, 8 rebounds.
Key performers: Lake Zurich — Nick Penny, 7 points, 5 rebounds; Ryan Kutsor, 9 points. Lake Forest — Justin McMahon, 10 points; Brian Stickler, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks.