July 16, 2025
Sports

High school boys basketball: Morton learns lessons from tough tourney run

By JASON ROSSI

Morton's Semaj Jackson drives down court on Dec. 27 in a game against Whitney Young at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament. The Mustangs went 0-3 at the tourney but learned about playing against tough competition. (Bill Ackerman)

HILLSIDE – Going 0-3 wasn’t what Vinny Belcaster and his Morton basketball teammates had in mind at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament.

Yet playing against some tough competition helped the Mustangs learn some things about themselves that could pay off in the second half of the season.

“The other day we [started with] Whitney Young – top-five team, in the championship game – they’re a powerhouse and they always have been, so we can learn off that,” Belcaster said. “Playing in this tournament, every game it’s a top team no matter what.”

In its tourney finale against Providence St. Mel, Morton (4-7) trailed by as many as 11 points in the second quarter before battling back and taking the lead on six occasions in the second half of a 63-58 loss on Dec. 30.

“Providence St. Mel was 0-9, but they’re still a good team,” Belcaster said. “You can learn from this, and then when you play against your conference you build off of playing in something like this as a team.”

Stephon Jordan had a team-high 15 points in the finale. Detalian Brown had 13 and Tyric Edward scored 11.

Belcaster, Brown and seniors Semaj Jackson and Malik Jones had some tourney experience from last season, but Morton was otherwise putting varsity newcomers on the floor. Playing against Young (the eventual tourney champ) and a solid Downers Grove North squad in the tourney was a big learning experience for the Mustangs.

“We just have to find the right combination that’s going to be successful. We go long stretches where we don’t score,” Morton head coach Tony Martinucci said. “Coming into [the last game], we were the worst offensive team in the whole tournament, but we came back and really played hard.”

Lyons Township boys basketball

The Lions dropped their first two games by a combined seven points at York’s Jack Tosh Holiday Classic tournament, then got back on track to win their next two games.

LT fell 48-46 against St. Laurence in the opener and lost 56-51 against Lake Forest before topping Riverside Brookfield 77-68 and winning 57-47 against Nazareth.

Lazarius Williams had 21 points against Naz while Connor Niego had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Connor Niego and Noah Niego both had 20 points against RB while Williams and Tyrese Shines scored 10 points apiece.

Lyons Township girls basketball

LT went 2-2 and finished in fourth place at Wheaton North’s Bill Neibch tournament over the holidays.

The Lions defeated Waubonsie Valley 49-14 and West Aurora 40-19 to start the tourney. They lost against eventual champ Wheaton North in a semifinal and fell 50-32 against Downers Grove North in the third-place game.

Freshman Lily Courier was named to the all-tournament team for LT.

Riverside Brookfield
boys basketball

The first three games at the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic went against the Bulldogs, but they finished off the tourney with a 74-53 win against Elk Grove on Dec. 29. Jalen Brooks had 19 points, Jalen Clanton had 16 points and five assists, and Ryan Cicenas added 12 points.

Riverside Brookfield
girls basketball

At their own holiday tournament, the Bulldogs posted a 4-1 record. RB swept pool play games against Shepard (55-36 on Dec. 26), De La Salle (51-40 on Dec. 27) and Hinsdale South (53-40 on Dec. 28) before going 1-1 in bracket play.