By Jack Lydon
The Lane Tech Champions defeated (9-8, 4-2) Whitney Young (10-7, 5-2) on Tuesday for the second year in a row. This time at Whitney Young by the score of 61-57. This time the attitude of the Champions seemed palpably different before the game. They just had these, okay, let’s go looks on their faces. It might have been the brutally difficult schedule put together by Lane’s coach Nick LoGalbo that toughened their hides.
“We played the top five teams in the state. We played Niles North twice, a top ten team. We went out to DC we played some best teams that country. Now it’s time to put it all together. In our first game in 2025, winning on the road at Whitney Young, we did that tonight,” LoGalbo said.
The Champions have indeed played top competition, like the very top: #1 DePaul Prep, #2 Kenwood, #6 Brother Rice, #12 Curie, #13 Niles North—twice, formerly ranked St. Ignatius as well as top out-of-state competition at a Washington DC shootout.
The Champions had a great first quarter. The defense was dominant holding the Whitney Young Dolphins (10-7, 5-2) to ten points. Brayden Rosenkrantz had eight of the Champions’ eighteen points including two three pointers. He added a third three early in the second quarter.
“That's who he's always been, an unbelievable shooter and an unbelievable defender,” LoGalbo said of Rosenkrantz.
“Early in the year he was just up and down with his confidence. We told him he's our point guard. We believe in him and he's just bad at a whole other level, but it started with him defending and we're really proud of him and we need to keep it rolling.”
The game was by no means over after the first quarter. The Dolphins came charging back with a 13-0 run in second quarter and briefly took a lead late in the quarter. The second half was back and forth until late. The Lane defense again took it up to very high level. The Dolphins were opposed on every shot and could not get anything to fall. The Champions built and held a lead through what seemed to be the force of will more than pretty basketball.
With games left against Lincoln Park, New Trier, Simeon and Hyde Park in the second half of the season, their brutally tough schedule seems to be paying off at the right time for the Champions to make a run breaking them into the rankings and launching them into the 4A playoffs.
No rest for the weary. Lincoln Park at Lincoln Park is on Thursday. Key game for the Champions. Get there early. Very few seats in Lincoln Park’s gym.
