Boys Basketball: Lucas Winburn’s double-double powers Sycamore to close win at Morris, snaps losing streak

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MORRIS – Things hadn’t been going too well for the Sycamore boys basketball team.

Five consecutive losses since Dec. 6 would attest to that.

But the Spartans responded to that adversity in a big way with senior post player Lucas Winburn leading the way.

Winburn recorded a double-double of 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds as Sycamore (4-8, 1-4, I8) broke its losing streak by capturing a tense 39-36 Interstate 8 Conference victory Tuesday evening at league rival Morris.

“This was a very scrappy game where we know Morris will always give us their best,” Winburn said. “So I thought I’d have to bring my best tonight on offense, defense and on the glass. They made it hard on me. But I was glad I could help get the job done for our team and end the losing streak.”

Winburn received complementary efforts from sophomore Carter York who registered seven points as well as six points and two critical 3-pointers from senior guard Jaxon Tierney as Sycamore coupled some stifling man to-man defense with solid rebounding to come away with its’ first conference triumph of the season.

“Our defense is the staple of our identity and we’ve continued to get better and better even though we’d lost a bunch before tonight,” Sycamore coach Ethan Franklin said. “It was kind of ugly for us shooting on offense (16 of 44, 36%) and we left a lot of points on the table. But at the end of the day we really stepped up on defense, rebounded well which ultimately earned this win.”

Morris (3-7, 1-3 I8) saw senior Gage Phillips pace its effort with 12 points while sophomore Brett Bounds chipped in with nine points. Senior Jonah Williams added four makers and a team-best nine rebounds.

But the home squad suffered a chilly night offensively connecting on 13 of 39 (33%) from the floor and an ice-cold 3-20 (15%) beyond the 3 point circle. Add to that Sycamore out rebounded Morris 33-23 throughout the proceedings leaving Morris winless so far this season on friendly hardwood.

“I thought Sycamore’s ball-pressure and rebounding just out-toughed us and for whatever reason we can’t seem to get a victory in our home gym,” Morris coach Joe Blumberg said. “We had a chance at the end to tie things up and send it into overtime. But give Sycamore credit for taking the lead into the third quarter and holding us off at the end with a great hustle victory.”

During an incredibly low scoring first period Sycamore led 6-5 after Winburn posted four points before Phillips added a 3 ball at 1:05 to send the game into the second stanza.

Morris would forge ahead 17-10 after a 9-2 run where Bounds nailed a right-baseline- triple at 2:50. But the Spartans embarked on a 7-1 rally to close out the half where York tallied on a 3- point play at 1:10 and eventually cut the gap to 18-17 at halftime.

In the third, Sycamore outscored Morris 15-9 to go ahead 32-27 entering the final frame. There, Morris cut the Spartans lead to 34-32 after Phillips’ nice baseline drive to the hoop at 5:40. But Winburn tallied on a nifty low-post move at 3:40 followed by Tierney’s 3 point bomb from the left baseline that put the Spartans in front 39-34 with two minutes to
play.

“I love that corner shot and it comes from the product of the great play of my teammates
that got me open,” Tierney said. “Lucas (Winburn) made an excellent pass to me and I
buried it. All we had to do is hold on from there.”

They did just that after Morris closed the lead to 39-36 courtesy of a Jack Wheeler bucket
with 1:40 left to go before Phillips’ 3 point try at the buzzer sailed off the back of the iron securing Sycamore’s success.

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