Lewis leads Vikings to win over hosts

Julian Lewis saw enough.

After watching host Proviso West use a 10-0 run to narrow a 12-point deficit to two with a minute to play, the Homewood-Flossmoor star junior forward made a critical rebound, steal and two free throws as the No. 9 Vikings held on for the 82-73 victory over the No. 24 Panthers in the quarterfinals of the Proviso West Holiday Tournament Tuesday night.

Lewis scored 12 of his 31 points in the final quarter. He added 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. The Vikings needed all of his heroic play. Homewood-Flossmoor (8-2) seemingly put the game away when Lewis scored four baskets to pad his team's lead to 75-63.

Gerald Gaddy (10 points) nailed two consecutive three-pointers. H-F compounded matters by turning the ball over on six of its next eight possessions. Fortunately for the Vikings, Proviso West (8-2) converted just 3-9 free throws in the fourth quarter.

"I just wanted to put the team on my back," Lewis said. "It was a great atmosphere, and

I just had to do whatever was necessary to get the victory and move onto the next round."

Lewis was most effective going to the basket. "My shot hadn't been falling the last couple of games, so I made an effort to be very aggressive in attacking the basket," he said.

The game was played at a frenetic pace. Homewood-Flossmoor opened the game on a 10-3 run. Behind Lewis and junior guard Tyrone Sherman (19 points), the Vikings led by as many as 11 late in the first quarter.

The host Panthers fought back valiantly. Tyrone McDonald (19 points) fueled a 13-4 comeback. Proviso West took its only lead at 25-24. Homewood-Flossmoor responded with a 12-5 burst to lead 39-36 at the break.

Antonio Bishop contributed 13 points, five rebounds and seven blocked shots. McDonald added 10 rebounds to lead the Panthers. Nicholas Dixon added 15 points and seven rebounds.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.