Boys basketball: Riverside-Brookfield has it all rolling against Lyons

RIVERSIDE – Everything was rolling for Riverside-Brookfield in its game against Lyons on Jan. 26.

In front of an almost packed crowd with several community kids in attendance and an extended halftime, the Bulldogs had their offense clicking in the nonconference game at home.

Sophomore guard Cameron Mercer splashed in six 3-pointers.

Senior center Stefan Cicic had three dunks.

Senior guard Steven Brown caused havoc all game, pushing the pace, banging the boards and sealing the win with a late alley-oop to Cicic.

The Bulldogs pieced together a night to remember, maintaining a double-digit lead for the majority of the game before holding off a late rally by the Lions to pull out a 68-60 win in Riverside.

“We got off to a huge start and Cameron was fantastic in the first half shooting the basketball,” Riverside-Brookfield coach Mike Reingruber said. “We did enough defensively in the second half. Every time they made a little run, we seemed to come back with a big basket and hold them off. … We made enough plays to win the basketball game.”

Mercer, the son of former NBA player Ron Mercer, paced the Bulldogs (20-3) with a game-high 21 points, drilling six 3-pointers – all in the first three quarters – before leaving the game in the final minutes because of an injury.

Cicic, a 7-foot center with multiple Division I offers, dominated in the paint to end with 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. Brown also had a double-double with 17 points and 11 boards and Mehki Austin finished with eight points.

The Lions (7-13) showed a lot of resolve and character with their late flurry of points, cutting down a seemingly insurmountable deficit to five points several times in the final minutes. Ian Polonowski canned four 3s for a team-high 15 points. Liam Taylor poured in 13 points and Caleb Greer had nine. Brady Chambers added four points and 10 rebounds.

“We fought like crazy and the kids played really well, especially in the second half,” Lyons coach Tom Sloan said. “We made a lot of big plays, but Riverside-Brookfield did, too. They shot it really well and got some offensive rebounds that were costly. I’m so proud of our effort.

“Our guys played really hard. Brady, Liam and Ian all played well for us. It was a nice effort from the guys.”

The Bulldogs were on the verge of forcing a running-clock game, leading 32-14 in the second quarter thanks to a sizzling shooting performance by Mercer. The 6-foot-2 Mercer made three 3s in a two-plus minute span in the first quarter.

“Cameron has been fantastic all year long,” Reingruber said. “He’s had big games in big moments. He’s a kid who’s not scared of anyone or anything and lives for the moment. I’m excited to see him continue to progress for the next two years. He had a huge game tonight. For us to be successful for the rest of the year, we need him.”

Brown made some big plays, especially in the fourth quarter, to keep the Lions from cutting the deficit to a one-possession game.

“Lyons beat us last year really bad,” Brown said. “I’ve been waiting all year, all offseason, to play them again. That was a game we’ve been waiting for. We’ve now beaten them twice. We had some tough losses early in the year but getting 20 wins feels great.”

Cicic rarely ventured out of the paint, scoring off several putbacks and helping extend possessions with his rebounding. After the game, Cicic was among the Bulldogs who enjoyed signing autographs and talking to the local kids on the court.

“This was a fun game,” Cicic said. “Coming in, I didn’t expect this crowd to be this big. The environment was insane. I felt a lot of energy from the crowd and my teammates. This environment helped us stay composed and locked in and not blow our lead.”