Two blowout wins to start the state tournament and an opportunity to rest your starters could be the recipe for a deep playoff run, and that’s where the Leo Lions find themselves after dismantling Southland College Prep 55-27 to win the IHSA Class 3-A Regional on their home floor Friday night.
The Lions (25-6) will face Morgan Park in the Hillcrest Sectional semifinals Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Country Club Hills. The Mustangs (19-7) advanced with a 64-49 victory over Marian Catholic in the St. Rita Regional title game. Leo is the sectional’s top seed.
As they’d done in their first-round victory over Hansberry two nights earlier, the Lions took control from the start, grabbing a 10-2 lead as junior guard Karon Shavers either scored or assisted on all 10 points. It was a 12-5 game after a quarter, and Southland’s offensive struggles would persist all evening — nearly three quarters had been played before the visitors managed 20 points against Leo’s relentlessly aggressive defense.
The second quarter featured more of the same as the Lions stretched their lead to 21 points, though it came at a cost — junior guard Jeremiah Echols injured his ankle shortly before halftime and would not return. Leo may have missed Echols’ scoring, but compensated with a defensive effort that forced a slew of turnovers and left the Eagles to settle for forced, off-balance three-pointers.
The pattern continued into the second half as the Lions stretched their lead to 30 points, resulting in a running clock and more playing time for Leo’s bench. The Lions’ third straight regional title went into the books via a 28-point final margin.
Junior Brian Kizer, returning from an ankle injury, led the Lions with 14 points. Shavers was all over the floor, finishing with nine points, six rebounds, five assists and nine steals. Junior Asa Harris had nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
“Send a message,” Shavers said, was the Lions’ mindset.
“Send a message, make a statement, show that this team has what it takes,” he said.
Junior guard Ayden Ware scored 16 of Southland’s 27 points.
Morgan Park is no doubt made of sterner stuff after going 7-2 and finishing second to Simeon in the Public League Red South, one of the city’s toughest conferences.
Host Hillcrest (19-8), the sectiona’s No. 2 seed, will face Thornton (13-14) in Tuesday’s other semifinal at 7:30. The winners meet for the sectional title on Friday and a berth in the UIC Supersectional on Monday, March 9.
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