Andrean junior Lauren Colon was holding a sword.
It wasn’t so much a replica weapon from medieval times as a slender piece of wood with carvings in it to barely resemble a handle and blade. It was adorned with the names of Andrean players who’d won the team’s traveling trophy as the MVP of each game.
Colon, a 5-foot-6 guard, has won it four times this season and was holding it again after the 59ers’ 53-31 win against host Lake Station in a Class 2A sectional semifinal on Friday.
Colon scored just 10 points but was recognized by her team for her defensive prowess in holding Lake Station’s leading scorer, sophomore guard Kayla Wilkerson, to just three points.
“They told me she was a shooter, so I just stayed on her the whole time,” Colon said.
Junior guard Tori Allen scored 16 points for Andrean (19-6), which advanced to the Lake Station Sectional championship game against Bishop Noll on Saturday. The Warriors (12-10) beat Whiting 64-27 in the other semifinal.
Darne Toney led Lake Station (16-7) with 12 points.
Andrean coach Tony Scheub raved about Allen’s defensive efforts.
“We were switching on matchups all night,” he said. “But we put Lauren on No. 13, and that one never changed.”
Colon didn’t say much after the game — a common occurrence for the soft-spoken player — but Scheub balanced her quiet nature with an expression that lit up as he talked at length about everything Colon contributes.
“I could stand here and talk about her for hours,” Scheub said. “She’s such a good basketball player, and she’s such a tough kid. She never changes her expression. I tell our coaching staff all of the time that I think she’s the most underrated basketball player in Northwest Indiana.”
Colon’s attention to the defensive side of the game stems from the seven years she spent playing with the Region Rebels, a local youth basketball program.
“The main thing was defense,” Colon said. “That’s what they were teaching us most of the time.”
Andrean needed that defensive focus because Lake Station refused to go away. The 59ers led 25-14 at halftime and threatened to pull away in the third quarter before a late spurt by the Eagles closed the gap to 10.
“Once they went on that little run, I think our kids woke up,” Scheub said. “We got a few baskets off of some offensive rebounds and some layups. And then we got to the free-throw line.”
Colon contributed to Andrean’s final surge with one basket off an offensive rebound and a baseline drive to the rim that sparked a stagnant offense.
The 10 points she scored matched her season average, which is second on the team.
“Tori’s still our main scorer,” Colon said. “But I’m trying to help with our scoring more.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.