Lemont Has Optimism for the Future in Wake of Disappointment

Endings are always hard in sports, epecially when you're dealt a loss like the one the Lemont Indians got last night in front of their home crowd. 

“It’s a tough loss, definitely,” Indians coach Rick Runaas said. “But we shot poorly all night.” 

The Indians, as a whole, shot 18-for-53 from the field, which cost them their early momentum. After taking an early 11-6 lead thanks to nine points from guard Bill Luzzo, the Julian Jaguars clawed their way back in, taking a 13-11 lead by the end of the first quarter and a 20-15 lead at the half. 

The Jaguars extended their lead to 46-38 with 2:46 remaining in the game. The Indians fought back with a full-court press defense and a couple of favorable calls and eventually took a 47-46 lead with 20 seconds left in the game. 

The run, however, would not last after Julian forward Christopher Copeland hit the game-winning shot with nine seconds left. The Indians final push was for naught after Bridwell had the ball stolen.

It was a night to forget for Bridwell, who was easily the team’s best player all season. He only had four points and shot a dismal 1-for-14 from the field. At one point early in the fourth, he missed three shots from inside four feet amidst heavy defense. 

Not the way Bridwell, a senior, wanted to end his high school career.

“He (Evan) had a great year. I know no one feels worse about tonight than him,” Runaas said. “But he should look back and think about the career he had. It’s just unfortunate for it to end like this.” 

But the future looks bright for the Indians.

The team will graduate just three seniors (Luzzo and Bridwell, most notably) and have a solid core of juniors poised to take the helm, most notably junior guard Martin Sosinski, who scored nine of his 11 points in the second half and nailed some clutch shots and free throws to help get them back in the game. 

“He (Sosinski) played with a lot of heart tonight. I give him a lot of credit,” Runaas said. 

Runaas remains optimistic and passionate about his work, as well. 

“I love this job and I love this community and hopefully we can grow together.” 

Extra Points: 

Stats Pack: The second quarter was a departure from the rest of the game with the Jaguars playing a slowdown offense for much of the period. As a result, the two teams combined for 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting. The two teams scored at least double digits individually for the other three quarters. 

Play of the Night: Copeland’s game-winning shot was easily the highlight, hitting a running layup from ten feet away to clinch the game for the Jaguars.