Smith drives the bus for Leo
Junior guard scores 18 points as Lions defeat Brother Rice in battle of Catholic League Blue unbeatens
Tyler Smith wakes up at 4:45 a.m. in his South Chicago Heights home to get ready to catch an early bus to Leo.
The junior guard said it’s all worth it. And not just for basketball reasons.
“The teachers here help me a lot,” he said. “They keep you motivated. They uplift you. If they see you are trying and you are a good kid, you will do well here.
“I’m in the honor society because of my teachers motivating me. I never had straight A’s until I got here.”
The 6-foot Smith deserved good grades for his play Friday night, finishing with 18 points in a 56-50 Catholic League Blue victory over Brother Rice.
Leo (17-3, 11-0) and Brother Rice (21-2, 10-1), which had an 11-game winning streak snapped, entered as unbeatens in the powerhouse league. St. Rita (18-7, 9-0) also is unbeaten, and the Lions and Mustangs meet Tuesday at St. Rita.
Leo has not won a Catholic League championship since 200910.
“I think our team is going to be the one to bring it home,” Smith said. “I think I was like 4 when they won it in 2010.”
Smith continues to come of age for the Lions, and he was a good opening and closing act Friday night.
His 3-pointer with 1:21 left in the third closed out that quarter.
His 3-pointer with 7:07 left in the fourth opened that quarter, giving Leo its first double-digit lead of the game at 42-32.
Brother Rice could get no closer than five points the rest of the way.
Oh, and Smith closed the first quarter with a buzzer-beating layup to put the Lions ahead 18-12. He also opened the second half with a basket.
“Anybody at any given time can step up, and tonight, Tyler came in an knocked down shots,” Leo coach Jamal Thompson said. “That’s what it came down to.”
For the second Friday night in a row, junior guard Jakeem Cole stepped up and led Leo in scoring in a pressure game. He popped in 22 points, including 11 in the first quarter.
Cole scored 23 points on Jan. 28 in a big 72-64 win over Mount Carmel.
The defense was razor sharp for the Lions against the Crusad
ers as they came up with 11 steals. Sophomore Christian Brockett led the way with four.
“They had a lot of steals and you can also say we had a lot of turnovers,” Brother Rice coach Bobby Frasor said. “They go hand in hand. We knew that’s how they were going to play and we knew they would be the aggressor.
“It’s hard to simulate and it’s hard to prepare for it. It’s been our Achilles’ heel all year. Give them all the credit. They were tougher and more physical and more aggressive. That’s why they won.”
Junior guard Peter McShane led Brother Rice with 15 points, including 11 in the first half. Junior guard/forward Nick Niego added 11 points.
The Crusaders look to get back on the winning track, but they have a strong nonconference opponent Sunday, playing Homewood-Flossmoor in the Evergreen Park Shootout.
Leo, which has won six straight games, also is at that event. The Lions will play Oak Forest.
Thompson wanted to savor the Brother Rice victory, however, for a little while.
“We have not beaten Brother Rice since the 201415 season,” he said. “Our alums reminded me of that every day this week. Since I’ve been here, we haven’t beaten them.
“That was one of my goals — come out and beat Rice.”