The boys varsity basketball team defeated the Naperville North Huskies 56-46 at the United Center on Saturday, Dec. 6 in a match where the Lyons seemed to always be one step ahead of their opponent. Harrison Niego ‘15, Connor Niego ‘17, Danny O’Malley ‘15, Joey Brunner ‘15 and JaQuan Phipps ‘15 started for the Lyons.

Despite the change in environment to the Madhouse on Madison and the team’s second game within 24 hours, the boys never lost their focus, Tom Sloan said.

“You have to make sure [the boys] aren’t just wowed by the stadium we are playing in, and just play basketball,” Sloan said.

Right off the bat, the Lyons established their transition game, forcing a total of 13 steals on the night. The Lyons took advantage of every fast break they got, and Harrison Niego converted an and-one early on to fuel the Lyons and set the pace for the rest of the game.

“Getting out into transition early made a big difference for us,” Sloan said.

The boys shot a dominant 47 percent from the field and really spread the ball around the floor well on offense, juxtaposed with the opposing Huskies, who seemed to rely heavily on  three point shots the entire afternoon.

Harrison, Connor, and Noah Niego ‘17 played much of the first half together and were responsible for 19 of the Lyons’ first 25 points.

“It was a great experience,” Harrison said. “Our abilities really complement each other well and allow us to show our chemistry on the court.”

The boys aren’t letting a solid 5-1 start get to their heads, however.

“We have to improve our defense,” Harrison said. “We want to hold our opponents to only one contested shot. We have to keep learning from our mistakes and turning our weaknesses into strengths.”

Game Stats