Geneva wanted to make sure Bartlett’s Conrad Luczynski had a hard time getting the ball down low in the first half Wednesday.
The 7-foot-3 senior center scored only two points in the half, both from the free-throw line.
But the Vikings extended their defense after halftime, and Luczynski took advantage.
“In the second half, they decided to go man-to-man a little bit more, and that’s what really opened us up and gave us a bigger lead,” he said.
Luczynski scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and also had 19 rebounds and six blocked shots as the Hawks edged Geneva 47-42 in a Class 4A Wheaton Warrenville South Regional semifinal.
“We finished strong,” Luczynski said. “Kelton (McEwen) hit some big shots. Everyone played well. We played our hearts out.”
The Hawks (24-6), who will play the host Tigers (29-2) in the regional championship game at 7 p.m. Friday, are shooting for their fifth regional title in program history and first since the 2017-18 season.
Bartlett held a 19-15 halftime lead behind McEwen, a sophomore guard who scored 11 of his game-high 16 points in the first half against Geneva (16-15).
“He’s a heck of a shooter,” Luczynski said. “He has so much potential. I can’t wait to see what he turns into senior year. He’s going to be a monster. Trust me.”
Luczynski wasted little time getting going in the third quarter, scoring on a putback with 6:50 left, and he accounted for the Hawks’ first seven points as they extended the lead to 26-17.
“When you extend (the pressure) like that, you don’t have as many bodies around the big guy down low,” Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said. “That’s the risk you take.”
Geneva used 3-pointers to stay in the game, hitting six. After a 3-pointer by sophomore forward Hayden Vostal cut the lead to 45-42, McEwen made a pair of free throws in the final seconds to ice the game.
Geneva made just 14 of 50 shots from the field.
“I thought our kids played hard,” Geneva coach Scott Hennig said. “We didn’t shoot it real well. My kids battled. The game plan was good. It was a one-possession game.”
Hennig said Luczynski’s impact can’t be overstated.
“There were some possessions where he got tips or blocked shots,” Hennig said. “We knew it going in. We know it now. We’ll know it next week. You can’t change 7-foot-3. It is what it is.”
Junior guard Mick Lawrence paced the Vikings with 12 points. Junior guard Colin Hasty added 11 points off the bench, all coming in the second half.
Bartlett avenged a 57-51 loss to Geneva on Nov. 30.
“I was dying for this rematch,” Luczynski said. “It was like a revenge game. It feels good, senior year. I feel like we have a good chance for a regional championship.”
Although his team won’t be playing, Hennig is looking forward to the regional final.
“They’re going to give Wheaton South all they can handle,” Hennig said. “I think it will be a fun game to watch — different styles.”
Second-seeded Wheaton Warrenville South, which advanced with a 68-34 win against Glenbard East, didn’t play Bartlett during the regular season.
“Big stage, the place will be packed, Friday night — you can’t ask for anything more,” Wolfsmith said. “You hope your seniors go out with a quality game.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.