Lyons is at its best when it turns defense into offense.
That’s not to say the Lions aren’t potent in the halfcourt, but defense is their calling card. With O’Brien, a 6-1 senior, at the top of their 1-2-2 press, Lyons can force turnovers because of her long wingspan that forces a litany of deflections and errant passes.
Not many teams in the area have a forward like O’Brien, who can just as easily throw an accurate kick-ahead pass as she blocks shots. But O’Brien wasn’t making shots she usually makes and wasn’t getting foul calls to get to the line. But instead of deferring or showing frustration, she kept attacking and battling. O’Brien was still imposing as a shot-blocker and ignited many transition baskets by getting the initial deflection.
“My teammates give me confidence,” said O’Brien, who finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. “I just wanted to find ways to impact the game so I could stay in the flow because eventually I need to make those shots.”
Lyons was able to win 55-42 against Lincoln-Way East because they picked up for their leader. Senior forward Gwen Smith added 21 points, and guard Avery Mezane was key in her ability to break through Lincoln-Way East’s press.
“The three of them are our core,” Lyons coach Meghan Hutchens said.
Smith is a Swiss Army Knife, able to guard opposing teams’ best players and serve as a secondary scorer.
“She knows what we need,” Hutchens said. “It’s hard to take her off the floor, because she’s a phenomenal defender.”
Lyons was generating much of what they wanted against Lincoln-Way East. The execution was sharp, but the Lions were lacking the finish. Between rushed shots and missed layups, the Lions left some points on the table.
“I couldn’t have asked for better shot selection,” Hutchens said, “I’m glad that we were able to keep the composure and continue the good looks. We eventually pulled away and were able to wear [Lincoln-Way East] down.”
The Lions held control for most of the game, but the Griffins made a charge in the third, cutting the lead to 32-28 and forcing Hutchens to burn a timeout. After the timeout, freshman guard Kennedy Moore went on a personal 5-0 scoring run to wrest control back from Lincoln-Way East.
Moore began the season on the bench but was moved into the starting lineup after an impressive performance against Benet. The freshman has a knack for finding the open area of the court.
“She had a timely performance,” Hutchens said. “At times her head’s spinning, but she knows how to turn it on.”
But Lyons’ inability to finish on Saturday let Lincoln-Way East hang in the game. But much like Moore, Smith and junior Taylor Carroll had opportune buckets during the fourth quarter that allowed Lyons to go on a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach.
Games like Tuesday’s are important over the course of a season. The Lions didn’t get the blowout win, but they dug deep on a gloomy day with Winter Storm Warnings in the Chicagoland area. Frustration was bubbling for the Lions because of a tight whistle from the referees, but they didn’t let that irritation seep through to the court.
The resilience and no-nonsense approach starts with Mezan, O’Brien and Smith. O’Brien and Mezan are four-year varsity players, and Smith is a three-year varsity player.
“I definitely was getting a little mad, but that helped us,” Smith said. “I noticed they weren’t calling fouls on us, so we really had to attack and go hard through the basket, and we just rallied together as a team.”