Lemont shakes off inexperience, wins at SandburgMichael O’Brienon December 1, 2021 at 2:33 am

Lemont’s Matas Castillo (1) controls the ball as Sandburg’s Ty Binns (21) defends. | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

Lemont has an exciting generation of basketball players on its hands. Nojus Indrusaitis, a 6-4 sophomore, is already garnering interest from colleges and the Castillo twins, a pair of juniors, are exciting playmaking guards.

Lemont has an exciting generation of basketball players on its hands. Nojus Indrusaitis, a 6-4 sophomore, is already garnering interest from colleges and the Castillo twins, a pair of juniors, are exciting playmaking guards.

What Lemont doesn’t have is much experience. Teenagers are still adjusting to life after all the pandemic shutdowns. Tuesday in Orland Park was one of the first real road games most of Lemont’s players ever experienced.

“There was a band and cheerleaders,” Lemont coach Rick Runaas said. “[Indrusaitis] has never [played in front of] a band. He’s never [played in front of] cheerleaders. He played 13 games last year for us and then AAU, with no one yelling at him that he needs to improve his dunk game. Just not getting called out like that. It’s all new.”

That likely explains some Lemont’s shaky start to the season and its letdown in the second half against Sandburg.

Rokas Castillo, who missed key free throws late in the season-opening loss to Bradley-Bourbannais, drained the crucial free throws in a 58-55 win on Tuesday against the Eagles.

“I think I just learned from that mistake,” Castillo said.

Indrusaitis had a handful of breakaway dunks and finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Matas Castillo had seven points and nine assists. He has a knack for finding Indrusaitis and his brother on fastbreaks where one of them leaks out early.

“We have a lot of connection together so it makes it easy on the court,” Matas Castillo said. “On defense we can switch without talking and on offense we know where we are going.”

Rokas Castillo scored 16. Senior Patrick Gardner (six points, nine rebounds) and junior Miles Beachum (eight rebounds) helped give Lemont (3-2) a significant advantage in the post. They out-rebounded Sandburg 38-28.

That advantage helped Lemont survive a brutal night at the free-throw line. They shot just 16 of 33.

“In the first half we played our best half of the season and in the second half you saw more like we’ve been playing, just kind of skittering along and not playing with the confidence that I’m used to some of these kids playing with,” Runaas said. “When things click for young kids it looks good. And when there is a little more pressure we haven’t handled it that well. That’s a little bit disconcerting but I think it’s going to come with time.”

Lemont led by 19 at halftime. Sandburg (1-4) cut it to 42-33 in the third quarter and then made a real charge in the fourth.

A three-pointer from senior James White made it a four-point game with 23 seconds left to play. Rokas Castillo made all four of his free throws from then on to seal the win.

Ryan McPolin led the Eagles with 21 points and five rebounds and senior Ty Binns added 15 points.

John Daniels, who coached at Stagg for 14 years, took over at Sandburg this season.

“We’re playing a lot of guys because I’m new,” Daniels said. “Everybody has got to get a chance. I have to see what they can do. They are working hard in practice. The first year is always hard. The effort is great. They are great kids and they play hard.”

Watch the final minute of Lemont at Sandburg:

https://t.co/MAstrPdpqh

— Michael O’Brien (@michaelsobrien) December 1, 2021

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