As a baby, Evergreen Park’s Kyziah Lewis was transfixed at any time when basketball got here on TV.
She loved watching Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose and Los Angeles Lakers nice Kobe Bryant.
“Derrick Rose continues to be my high participant,” Lewis stated. “I like the way in which he performed. I attempt to drive like he did, and I wish to attempt to get there. I’ve an even bigger dimension than him from my standpoint, however I attempt to maneuver and be as clean as I may be.”
The senior ahead did some driving — a few of it clean, a few of it sturdy — Thursday night time to assist host Evergreen Park knock off Shepard in a 55-45 South Suburban Purple victory.
Lewis tallied 18 factors, 10 rebounds and two blocked pictures for Evergreen Park (20-10, 9-4). A type of blocks got here on the halftime buzzer that ended up energizing the Mustangs.
Trinity Jones added 17 factors, seven rebounds and 4 steals. Grace Kole had 9 rebounds.
Jessica Manley led Shepard (16-9, 10-3) with 22 factors, which included scoring all 11 factors for the Astros within the first quarter. Mia Stokes completed with 10 factors.
Regardless of the loss, Shepard shared the convention title with Oak Garden for a second straight season. Earlier than final winter, the Astros had by no means gained a convention titles. It’s the Spartans’ fifth in a row.
For Lewis, although, watching Rose and Bryant within the early days caught her mother and father’ consideration.
“They noticed I used to be very keen on it,” Lewis stated of basketball. “They let me play once I was 3, and I simply stored going from there.”
George Shimko, a veteran coach who’s in his first season at Evergreen Park, joked about wishing that Lewis may come again for an additional 12 months of eligibility because of the pandemic.
“Kyziah Lewis may be very expert,” Shimko stated. “She will be able to shoot the medium-range leap shot and hit the three. She posts up very well. She passes nicely, and he or she’s a very good defender.
“She’s been a pleasure to educate.”
Jones, who stated she has been teammates with Lewis from once they performed collectively at Central Center College in Evergreen Park, has loved that have.
“Our chemistry is simply insane,” Jones stated. “She has developed a lot all through the years and I’m so joyful for her. She’s a terrific participant and a terrific teammate.”
Evergreen Park really opened the common season on Nov. 18 with a 60-45 loss to Shepard within the first spherical of the Bobby Bolton Basic, however the Mustangs had been lacking some gamers.
After some ups and downs, Evergreen Park has gone 14-2 in its final 16 video games. Each losses had been shut shaves, 51-47 to T.F. South and 45-42 to Oak Garden.
“We had been 90 seconds away from beating T.F. South and we had been one possession away from beating Oak Garden,” Shimko stated. “From the place we had been within the convention to the place we at the moment are, we’re pleased with the progress.”
Evergreen Park, which drew the third seed within the Class 3A St. Laurence Sectional, performs in opposition to 14th-seeded Chicago Vocational at 6 p.m. Tuesday within the Simeon Regional.
“We have to hold the chemistry up and ensure we feed off of one another,” Lewis stated.
“We’ve come thus far,” Jones stated. “We’ve had shut losses early within the 12 months, however a few of them had been good losses. Currently, we’ve been working onerous as a workforce and every thing has been good.”
The 5-foot-10 Lewis is getting school curiosity from Truman, Morton and Prairie State. She’s unsure the place her basketball profession will take her, however she is aware of she desires to maintain taking part in.
“I can by no means depart basketball – it’s in my DNA,” Lewis stated. “There may be nothing prefer it.
“Every part about it makes me excited and I may by no means step away from it.”
Jeff Vorva is a contract reporter for the Each day Southtown.
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