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player ready...The good news for Hinsdale South was that Karol Lipiszko hit his first 3-point attempt when the Hornets faced West Suburban Gold leader Willowbrook on Friday.
Lipiszko buried a 3-pointer at the beginning of the second quarter, and by halftime, he had hit four total from behind the arc, allowing Hinsdale South to build a 31-20 lead.
“After hitting that first one, it gives you confidence the rest of the game,” Lipiszko said. “Because you know you have the first one out of the way, so you can just keep shooting.
“Lately, I have been shooting really well … so I was glad to keep it going.”
Lipiszko also knocked down a 3 at the start of the third quarter, and despite a late comeback by Willowbrook, the Hornets were able to prevail 62-50 in Villa Park, snapping the Warriors’ 14-game winning streak.
Hinsdale South (14-9, 6-2) is the only team to defeat the Warriors (21-2, 7-2) this season, having won 69-57 in Darien on Dec. 16. The win allows the Hornets to remain in contention for the conference title, with Downers Grove South also in the mix.
Willowbrook switched defenses in the first half, and Lipiszko was able to take advantage of openings when the Warriors played zone.
“Zone (defense) usually excites me because there is not one man sticking on me,” said Lipiszko, a senior from Burr Ridge. “There is just an area and a lot of rotation, so I get left open a lot. When my teammates know that, they give it to me.”
Against the Warriors, Lipiszko and senior guard Mike Stoltz were able to expose the zone by making 3-of-5 first-half 3-pointers from the corner.
“Against zones, the corners are usually open, so we tend to work on our corner game (in practice), usually when we expect a zone defense,” Lipiszko said.
Stoltz and Lipiszko have been preparing in practice to make certain they are ready when they are called upon to knock down a big shot.
“(Lipiszko) and Mike Stoltz are some of the first guys in the gym every day, working on their shooting form and other things,” Hornets coach Brett Moore said. “Nobody is going to outwork either of those kids. As a shooter, it is tough with confidence — you might only get two or three shots a game.”
Being able to count on a shooter like Lipiszko to hit outside shots allows Hinsdale South to add another dimension to its offense. Although Hinsdale South hit only one 3-pointer in the second half against Willowbrook, the Hornets had more success attacking the basket.
Junior forward led the Hornets on Friday with 23 points, going 9-for-11 from the field in the second half. Senior guard Nick Perry had 10 points, and senior D.J. Anderson added 7.
“To beat good teams — Willowbrook is a really good team — to beat those teams we need something besides Zion, Nick and D.J., who are going to get to the basket,” Moore said. “(Lipiszko) stretches the court for us and makes all those guys way more effective.”
Patrick Kelly is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press