Lyons entered the season with several question marks.

The Lions returned just two players with significant playing experience – Owen Carroll and Timothy Sloan – from a 14-win team that won just four games in the West Suburban Silver Division last season.

But the Lions opened this season with a fast start, with six consecutive victories before hitting some growing pains and injuries. Now, after earning a quality road win over York on Tuesday, the Lions (17-6, 7-1) are back in the hunt for the division title thanks to another six-game winning streak.

The Lions won’t overwhelm opponents with their inside size, much like York, but have several solid shooters, can spread the floor, rely on patience to find a good shot and can overwhelm teams with their height at the guard and forward spots.

“I think experience obviously helped and we’ve been more physical lately,” Lyons coach Tom Sloan said. “The games where we have struggled, like at the York tournament and before that, we had been out-physicaled by teams, but the guys planted their feet and stood their ground against York.

“We’re making more shots now. That makes a big difference.

“The kids do a nice job moving without the ball. We do a nice job of moving the ball and are unselfish. Several guys are gaining experience. For all the guys, other than Timmy and Owen, it’s the speed of the varsity game and the defensive side. It’s all the little things. Everyone works in the offseason what to do when you have the ball in your hands, but 95% of the game you don’t have the ball in your hands, so what are you going to do defensively, on the ball blocking out and rebounding and handling the ball and moving without the ball.”

Junior guard Nate Woods exploded for eight 3-pointers for 26 points in Tuesday’s road win over the Dukes (22-4, 8-1) to put the Lions within striking range of the division title. Sloan said Woods is developing into a reliable scorer heading into the stretch run of the conference season.

“He does not lack confidence,” Sloan said of Woods. “Where Nate has improved recently is his movement off the ball to get himself open, so when he’s open, the guys find him. We have Glenbard West on Friday and they are very good and we had a game do down to the wire the last time, so we can’t be happy with ourselves. This is exciting. It was a great win. We have to bounce back and play another good team on Friday.”

Woods said the Lions have gained experience battling a tough schedule.

“Obviously, we’re a very young team,” Woods said. “I think just playing together and the more we’ve played together, the better we’ve gotten. Offensively, we’re sharing the ball and know what to do and our defense has been pretty good.

Parrilli playing strong for the Knights.

IC Catholic junior forward Jimmy Parrilli is playing his best basketball at the right time of his career.

The 6-foot-3 Parrilli is one of the main factors behind the Knights’ winning season, scoring 14 points in a win over Walther Christian last week. The Knights (14-11, 3-4 Chicago Catholic White) play at Providence on Friday.

Parrilli is averaging 10.4 points over his last five games, shooting a torrid 69.1% from the field.

After playing on the junior varsity last season, Parrilli is contributing on both ends of the court for the Knights.

“Coming up to the varsity at the beginning of the year, I had to work my way into getting some good playing time,” Parrilli said. “It’s been fun playing with my best friends and a fun season so far. I’m trying to get my averages up and build connections with my team because next year will be a big senior year with my team. Next year I hope to get some college looks because I want to play at the next level and have to get ready for it.”

IC Catholic coach TJ Tyrrell said Parrilli is turning into a quality player for his team, helping fill a big void.

“Jimmy has been coming off the bench for most of the year, but after a couple of injuries, he’s really stepped up in the last week and a half,” Tyrrell said. “His confidence has started to build. He’s been a scorer for us, especially with two starters out. He brings an optimistic and positive approach toward what he does for us.”

Rennick making noise on the hardwood

York senior power forward Jackson Rennick is a key reason for his team’s strong season. The 6-3, 225-pound Rennick is a physical force in the paint, relying on his football background, soft touch and passing ability to cause mismatches.

Rennick, a Wisconsin-Whitewater football recruit, scored nine points against Lyons on Tuesday.

“Jackson has been our glue guy the whole year long,” York coach Mike Dunn said. “Jackson just came in after football and been playing well for us. He’s a fantastic kid and a winner. We can’t ask anything more from him.”