Boys Basketball: Lockport denies Lincoln-Way Central

Updated: May 9, 2012 10:09AM

School restarted Friday at Lockport after the holiday break. But Kyle Ward and his teammates had to put their thinking caps on right away.

Ward scored Lockport’s only basket of the fourth quarter and finished with a team-high eight points as the Porters prevailed 33-26 over Lincoln-Way Central in a defensive SouthWest Suburban Blue match-up in New Lenox.

The win was the fourth in a row and seventh in nine games for the Porters (10-5, 1-3), but first in the conference. Central fell to 6-10, 0-4.

“It’s a mind-teaser when you play them,” Ward said. “You’ve got to think at all times.”

Lockport led 26-24 after three quarters. The score remained that way through much of the fourth, the result of missed opportunities. The Knights turned the ball over seven times in the period and missed three straight close-range shots with just over two minutes remaining that would have tied it.

The Porters didn’t do much better, missing shots, turning the ball over twice and clanking the front end of two one-and-one situations. Billy Reed finally hit the second of two free throws with 1:13 left for the first point by either team in the quarter and the first Porter points in more than nine minutes. After a steal, Ward hit a short jumper to make it 29-24 with 52 seconds to go.

“The quarter dragged on for a while,” Ward said. “But on that (made shot), the rim just looked big and I knew I had to make it.”

Kevin Mampe’s two free throws with 22.1 seconds left got the Knights on the board in the quarter and made it 30-26. Lockport made 3 of 4 foul shots from the line in the final 19.3 seconds.

David Robinson added six points and eight rebounds for Lockport, which never trailed in jumping out to an 8-0 lead before settling for a 16-10 halftime advantage.

Brad Foster had two first-quarter fouls, but led the Knights with 11 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out with 11.4 seconds left in the game. Johnny Finnin added six points.

“It wasn’t pretty basketball, but Lincoln-Way Central had something to do with that on defense and always makes you think,” Lockport coach Lawrence Thompson Jr. said. “But we played very well in man defense too and got the first win in the conference.”

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