For the season, Steve Crane is the fifth-leading scorer on York. But on the road against Lyons on Friday night, the 6-foot-7-inch junior was hands-down the team MVP.
Crane scored a career-high 20 points, including six straight to start a decisive 11-2 run late in the fourth quarter of a 54-47 victory in the West Suburban Silver.
Lyons took the lead 35-34 with 5:24 left in the game on a layup by Mike Scavuzzo. Crane received his fourth foul on the play and sat for the next 1:47.
The Dukes were down by three when he re-entered the game, and his impact was immediate. Crane scored on back-to-back three-point plays within a minute of his return.
The 11-2 run started when York was down by three and ended with the Dukes ahead 47-41 with 1:26 left.
Crane eventually fouled out with 50 seconds remaining, but Lyons (15-2, 4-1) converted 7 of 8 free-throw attempts from that point on to seal the victory.
“I was really nervous because the game before [against Proviso West] I fouled out with 3:10 remaining,” Crane said. “I just had to play smart for the rest of the game. I didn’t want to get that fifth foul.”
Scavuzzo and Nicholas Pavilonis each scored 14 to lead Lyons, whose record fell to 9-7, 1-4.
Sean Fendley added 11 points for York.
