Boys basketball: Chris Suger, Geneva strike from long distance for win over Bartlett

GENEVA - Chris Suger does not appear to be a prototypical perimeter shooter for a high school player.

“Judging by my size, people may not think I am a 3-point shooter,” the Geneva 6-foot-8 senior said.

Suger converted both of his field goals against Bartlett from beyond the arc Tuesday night in the schools’ nonconference boys basketball game. With one minute and 50 seconds remaining, Suger drained his second and the Vikings’ 11th 3-pointer of the game to reverse the final Geneva deficit of the night in a 57-51 victory.

“I do like shooting the 3-pointer,” said Suger, who added two clutch free throws moments later to help fend off the Hawks in Geneva. “It’s something I take pride in shooting. At that point in the game we needed a bucket, and I am just glad it went in.”

The teams entered the night with identical 3-1 records after their respective Thanksgiving tournaments.

Geneva, as all of the Hawks’ future opponents almost certainly will, encountered a physical presence unlike any other in the area in 7-3 Bartlett post Conrad Luczynski.

“He’s the tallest player we’ll see all season,” Geneva coach Scott Hennig said. “You can’t simulate that (size) in practice.”

The senior impacted the game in so many different ways. The agile post scored a game-high 18 points and also paced both teams with 11 rebounds. Luczynski added a pair of blocks for good measure.

But perhaps his most valuable role was the perimeter opportunities his teammates had as Geneva sought to limit his effectiveness in the paint. The Hawks’ Nathan Scearce was an unquestioned beneficiary, as the sophomore sharpshooter scored all 15 of his points on five 3-pointers.

“We knew our secondary shooters were going to get some looks,” Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said.

Scearce burned the Vikings with his weak-side bombs.

“If Conrad wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be getting the shots,” Scearce said. “But in the end, (Geneva) made more shots.”

Bartlett scored 22 of the first 34 points to establish a double-digit lead midway through the second quarter. But Geneva unleashed its own downtown barrage to claw back into the game.

Michael Lawrence hit three 3-pointers in scoring 13 points for Geneva. Jimmy Rasmussen added two more from beyond the arc as part of his eight-point night. Max Jensen also hit two 3-pointers in enhancing the Vikings’ balanced-scoring attack with 14 more points.