With the shot clock coming to high school basketball next season, there won’t be many games like the one like Lincoln-Way Central and Lockport had on Tuesday evening.

In an old-fashioned game of ball movement and defense, Lincoln-Way Central outlasted the host Porters 57-53 in double overtime in a classic SouthWest Suburban Conference clash.

Alex Panos had a career-high 29 points and added six rebounds, while junior forward Nick Brzezniak banged in 18 points for the Knights (5-2, 1-1). Junior guard Nojus Venckus scored all 19 of his team-high points in the second half for Lockport (6-1, 1-1).

“To get my career high against an undefeated team on their home floor feels great,” Panos said. “We just had to stay to the plan and move the ball around.

“Without a shot clock, the possessions mattered even more. We just had to focus on the next one.”

That’s what the Knights did as they scored 18 points in the two extra sessions after scoring three in the fourth quarter.

Panos, a senior guard, who is also an outstanding pitcher for the Knights, hit a half dozen shots from downtown. One of them put Lincoln-Way Central up 45-43 with 58 seconds left in the first overtime. But after an exchange of baskets, Venckus tied the game at 47-47 on a driving layup with a second to play and the game went into the second overtime.

The Porters, who only had two leads in the game, both in overtime, took their second lead on a Venckus 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 50-49 with 3:16 left in the second OT. But Brzezniak answered with a layup 28 seconds later to give Lincoln-Way Central the lead for good. Panos then drained his final trey with 1:47 left to make it 54-50.

“I was confident the whole game,” said Panos, who scored 12 points in the overtime sessions, So, I just let it fly."

Venckus came back with an old-fashioned 3-point play at the 1:17 mark. Panos got his final point on a free throw with 50.4 seconds to go to extend the lead to 55-53. Lockport missed a 3-pointer and Brzezniak polished it off on a pair of free throws with 13.8 seconds to play in the second OT.

“I missed the previous one,” Brzezniak said of his second free throw attempt with 45.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter, which would have put the Knights up by three. “But I was confident in the overtime and knew I’d make both.

“I love games like this. Yeah, it was tense, but I had a smile on my face the whole time. It was a great victory. We really wanted to win because we’ve only lost to two ranked teams (Hillcrest and Homewood-Flossmoor). People have to take us seriously.”

While the Knights led nearly the whole way, including 9-7 after the first quarter, the game was always close. Layups by Brzezniak and senior forward Micah Evans put Lincoln-Way Central up 27-21 at halftime.

Fittingly, a trey by Panos gave the Knights their largest lead at 32-25 with 5:27 left in the third quarter. It was 36-32 after three. The fourth quarter was a defensive battle as neither team wanted to give an inch. Trailing by two, Venckus drove for a layup and was fouled with 21.6 seconds to play in regulation. But he missed the ensuing free throw and the score remained tied at 39-39.

Both teams missed a shot in the final four seconds of regulation, and the game went into overtime.

Elwood Chesta, a senior forward, added five points for the Knights, including a rebound basket for a 47-45 lead with eight seconds left in the opening overtime.

Trace Schaaf, a senior forward, had 11 points, and Nedas Venckus, who is Nojus twin brother, scored 10 points for the Porters, who were off to their best start since opening 6-0 in the 2021-22 season.

“That’s how we are,” Lincoln-Way Central coach Brian Flaherty said. “We like to play the old Ozzie Guillén White Sox one guy up small ball, but on the basketball court.

“These kids are grinders and are a throwback. Alex is an outstanding pitcher and two of our football players (senior Nolan Morrill and junior Drew Woodburn), who are starting guards are top football players for us. In a time where so many kids just focus on one sport, we have multisport athletes and it’s great.”