Lake Forest’s boys basketball team has found a constant while winning eight of its past 10 games — offense.
The Scouts (16-9) are averaging 61 points in their eight victories, including a 53-52 win over Prospect on Saturday, Feb. 20. Often, they’ve been able to do it while finding alternative scoring options to center Lorenzo Edwards (21 points per game).
“Obviously we want other guys to also score, but we take what they give us,” Lake Forest coach Phil LaScala said.
During this stretch, Lake Forest has had double-digit scoring games from junior forward Brian Stickler, junior forward Reed Thomas, senior forward Ryan Kitchel, junior forward Michael Bogdanowicz, junior guard Connor Hanekamp and junior guard Justin McMahon.
McMahon scored 18 points in victories over Libertyville and Mundelein.
“When role guys and bench guys score even five or seven points, that really helps out a lot,” McMahon said. “It takes the load off the team worrying that no one else is scoring, so we’ve got to get the ball to Lorenzo. When they double-down on him, guys have to be ready to shoot. And we have been.”
Against Mid-Suburban East champion Prospect (14-10) in the inaugural Camp Horseshoe Shootout at Lake Zurich, Lake Forest relied almost entirely on Edwards. He scored 24 of his team’s first 31 points. But with no one else contributing, the Scouts trailed 42-31 late in the third.
While Edwards continued to score, finishing with a career-high 35 points (12-for-21 shooting, four 3-pointers, 12 rebounds, three blocks), his teammates finally came to his aid. Hanekamp scored eight points in the remainder of the game, including two free throws that put Lake Forest ahead 53-49 with eight seconds left.
“It’s critical that we help him,” Hanekamp said. “We’ve got to be able to score from the outside. There’s times he’ll be getting triple teamed, even four guys on him in the paint.”
Asked about his teammates scoring, Edwards said: “It definitely opens the floor up more for our offense. I won’t be doubled in the post all the time, because our other players are hitting. It spaces out the floor.
“I definitely have a lot more confidence now than I had in the beginning of the season. … Everyone has been knocking down big shots.”
The 6-foot-7, 215-pound Edwards said he will take an unofficial visit to Wisconsin on Feb. 21. The unsigned star said he doesn’t plan on making a final decision until after the season.
Lake Forest will need to continue its balanced support of Edwards when it opens the Class 4A playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the Glenbrook South Sectional. The Scouts will face No. 11 Glenbrook North at 7:30 p.m. on March 1.
“In the playoffs, we’re going to have to have other guys step up and knock down shots, because they’re going to double team Lorenzo,” LaScala said.
Mark Perlman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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