Lucas Williamson shines as Young withstands West Aurora comeback

Young’s roster is loaded with talented underclassmen. It can be difficult to get an extended run of play on the court due to the sheer amount of options coach Tyrone Slaughter has.

Sophomore Lucas Williamson has worked his way into the starting lineup and his key play in the third quarter of the Dolphins’ 55-54 win over West Aurora on Saturday at Glenbard East should keep him in that spot.

“I just got my confidence up in the third quarter,” Williamson said. “We really needed a spark, we didn’t play well in the first half.”

Williamson scored nine of his 13 points in the third, helping to delay West Aurora’s comeback until the the very end of the game.

The Dolphins (12-7) led 55-48 with 1:49 to play. West Aurora senior Tommy Koth drained a 3-pointer with 33 seconds left to cut the lead to 55-54. Koth had a chance to win the game in the final seconds but missed the shot and Young’s Joseph Toye grabbed the rebound.

Toye (13 points, seven rebounds) didn’t post his usual high scoring and rebounding totals but his strong, 6-7 presence was a key factor in the game. He helped keep West Aurora’s best player, 6-6 senior Roland Griffin, from finding his rhythm.

Griffin scored 15 and grabbed nine boards.

“I thought we did a nice job of keeping him in a box in the first half,” Slaughter said. “But he definitely asserted himself a few times at the end.”

Point guard Anthony Mosley scored nine and Willie Herenton and Rodney Herenton each scored seven for the Dolphins.

“We knew going in we had to stop (Griffin),” Williamson said. “And that was (Toye’s) job. I thought he really held his own.”

Koth scored 14 and had seven rebounds for the No. 24 Blackhawks (11-6). Freshman Camron Donatlan added 10 points.

Young has played a high-level national schedule this season and taken its lumps with an inexperienced team. The Dolphins have played eight out-of-state teams. Their only in-state opponents have been a struggling North Chicago team and their Red-West conference mates.

The win over West Aurora is their signature local victory. It’s the first time the two schools have ever played.

“(West Aurora coach Gordie Kerkman) has more wins than I have games played,” Slaughter said. “He’s a legend so I’m like a kid in a candy store. I can say I beat a legend.”