One hundred seventy-four points were scored in 32 regulation minutes by No. 8 Young and No. 9 North Lawndale on Wednesday.
Lucas Williamson accounted for 32 of them for Young, and he was the difference in the Dolphins’ 88-86 comeback Red West road win at Collins.
“We just didn’t have an answer for Lucas,” North Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe said. “He’s got good size, good strength and he’s just a really good ballplayer. I’ve always liked him.”
Williamson shot 11-for-18 from the field and 10-for-12 on free throws, splitting his points with 15 in the first half and 17 in the second. No one on North Lawndale could handle the 6-foot-5 senior’s mix of strength and quickness.
“The coaches told me to go to the basket and keep going,” Williamson said. “They’re not going to tell me wrong.”
The Phoenix (7-2, 2-1) led 56-44 with 3 minutes, 10 seconds left in the third quarter, blitzing Young (4-2, 2-0) with a 14-4 run after halftime. North Lawndale guard Carlos Hines saw his second-half playing time dwindle as a result of foul trouble and the effects of an ugly spill under the basket late in the first half.
The Dolphins turned up the pressure with Hines out, and North Lawndale struggled to handle it. The Phoenix committed 22 turnovers, including seven in the fourth quarter.
“Carlos is a presence,” Thorpe said. “Without him, we had some guys out there who had never been in that position before in a game like this. They weren’t quite ready to deliver yet, but hopefully it’s a good experience for them.”
The Phoenix carried a 62-56 lead into the fourth quarter, but it was Young’s turn for a hot streak. The Dolphins scored 16 points in their first 10 possessions of the period to climb within 74-72 with 4:12 to play.
Williamson gave Young a 75-74 lead with 3:37 left with a 3-point play. The Dolphins didn’t trail again and made 12 of 17 free throws in their 32-point quarter. Young outscored the Phoenix 26-14 at the foul line overall.
“We’re the best conditioned team in the city,” Williamson said when asked what made the difference in the second half. “No one runs more than us. I’m serious.”
Both teams started hot, with the first quarter ending tied 23-23. Young shot 10-for-16 in the period, with the Phoenix firing 10-for-13. For the game, the Dolphins shot 29-for-53 (.547) to Lawndale’s 33-for-57 (.579).
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“It’s big to win in this type of atmosphere against a team like that,” Williamson said. “They’re so scrappy. They’re going to give teams in the city a lot of problems.”
Twitter @Larkin_Will
Player of the game: Lucas Williamson, Young, 32 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists.
Key performers: Young — Javon Freeman, 22 points, 5 rebounds; Xavier Castaneda, 11 points, 8 assists. North Lawndale — Martrell Barnes, 21 points, 7 rebounds; Steven Ross, 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists.