LINCOLN, Ill -- — Tyler Kolek didn’t know if he’d be healthy enough to play Tuesday.
He ended up delivering the biggest play of the night to give his coach his first signature victory at Lincoln Way Central. Kolek converted a steal into a go-ahead layup with 18 seconds left and Lincoln Way Central forced 20 turnovers for a 67-66 comeback victory over No. 10 Our Saviors.
Kolek's big moment came just three nights after he hurt a muscle above his knee while colliding with two Chicago players on a drive into the lane.
“After that game the other night, I couldn’t really straighten my leg,” said Kolek, who credited director of sports medicine Brandon Yoder for getting him ready to play. “I couldn’t really even walk.”
Our Savior's (2-1) was playing shorthanded, with Eli Oldham and Colter Smoot both playing through flu-like symptoms and they both seemed sluggish in the pain throughout the game.
Our Savior's was favored by 8 1/2 points, and had a 12-point lead with under 10 and a half minutes left in the game before crumbling down the stretch.
“You're not going to win a basketball game on the road against a good basketball team turning the ball over 20 times, not really getting a good look the last five minutes because we didn't execute,” Our Savior's coach Todd Dejaynes said.
Lincoln Way Central (3-0) found a way to win despite going 3 of 9 from the foul line down the stretch and getting outrebounded 50-30.
Smart said he uses a theme to prepare his team for each game, and his choice Tuesday night was appropriate: audacity.
“Not a lot of people outside our locker room gave us much of a chance to win this game, playing against a top 10 team,” Smart said. “But the guys believed and the guys stayed together.”
Our Savior's was clinging to a 66-65 lead when Kolek stole the ball from Drew Dejaynes at midcourt, maintained his balance and made a layup despite getting fouled.
Kolek missed the ensuing free throw, but Kur Kuath stole the ball from Our Savior's Conor McCaffrey with three seconds left to thwart any last-second shot.
“We missed a lot of free throws, missed a lot of shots that we usually make or that we work on a lot," said Lincoln Way Central's Darryl Morsell, who scored a team-high 21 points. "But our theme of the week was just audacity, and I just liked how we had the audacity to stay confident and find a way to get that win today.”
Justin Lewis had 17 points and Kolek added 12.
For the Eagles, Easley had 31 points, including 11 of 18 from the field, while Conor McCaffrey scored 16 points, and Dejaynes 11.
This also marked the first time Our Savior's played a true road game at a site this big, since March 2010. Dejaynes believed the crowd made a difference.
“Huge, big factor,” Dejaynes said. “It was good for our guys. We've got some guys in some new roles. ... It was a fantastic crowd. It's a loud building.”
BIG PICTURE
Our Savior's: Taking care off the ball has been a big concern early on. The Eagles had 15 assists compared with 20 turnovers Tuesday, and have 58 turnovers and 48 assists through the first three games of the season. Our Savior's opened with blowout victories over Salem Jacksonville and Little Flower. ... Easley, McCaffrey and Dejaynes all had costly turnovers down the stretch.
Lincoln Way: The Warriors continued their penchant for early-season upsets. Last year, Lincoln Way beat then-No. 4 New Berlin and then-No. 9 Lincoln in the first month of the season, but failed to build on that momentum. The Warriors staggered to a 13-14 finish that led to coach Steve Wojciechowski being fired after seven seasons.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
This loss could drop Our Savior's out of the top 15.
UP NEXT
Our Savior's: Faces East Peoria on Tuesday in the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri.
Lincoln Way: Faces Normal on Friday.