Connor Fitzgerald’s late heroics rally York to 3 overtime win over Lyons

ELMHURST – Connor Fitzgerald believes he just needs to see one shot go in to get hot.

He validated that faith Friday in a big way.

Fitzgerald, and York’s guards collectively, could not buy a perimeter shot for nearly four quarters. But the senior guard was money late.

Fitzgerald hit two 3-pointers in the final 15 seconds of regulation to force overtime. And then he hit another three to send York’s game with visiting Lyons into a second overtime.

Fittingly, Fitzgerald’s two free throws with 5.9 seconds left in a third overtime capped off the Dukes' dramatic 59-57 win in the West Suburban Silver.

“I’m kind of like a streaky shooter that goes off momentum,” said Fitzgerald, who scored 17 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtimes. “Once I see one fall I know the next one is going in. But that was crazy. We were down a lot, came back, made some shots – the rest is history."

Hunter Stepanich added 17 points and six rebounds and fellow post Costa Kampas 12 points and a steal on Lyons' last possession for York (8-8, 1-2), which trailed by five with 27.6 seconds left in regulation but rallied for its third straight win.

Ian Polonowski scored a game-high 25 points with 10 rebounds for Lyons (7-7, 1-3) and Josh Gutierrez had nine points and four assists.

York coach Mike Dunn wasn’t the least surprised at the gutsy heroics of Fitzgerald, who has averaged 18.3 points during the Dukes' three-game winning streak to start January.

Fitzgerald’s first three-pointer that cut Lyons' lead to 41-39 came on a set. After that, it was the confident 6-foot guard making plays.

“He’s a special kid. Seniors win,” Dunn said. “Our senior class has taken the reins of leadership and he’s been outstanding with that. He’s played really well, shooting the ball really well. It was just a heck of a high school basketball game. We made one more play. It could have gone either way.”

York made just 2 of its first 14 shots from 3-point range, both from reserve John Vlahos in the second quarter. Fitzgerald went nearly the entire second half without a field goal.

But he found a bounce in his step after his two 3s to end regulation, the second with six seconds left, and hit a tough lefty runner to start overtime.

His three-pointer with 16.9 seconds left in the first overtime kept it going.

“Once I see one fall, I’m in the zone,” Fitzgerald said. “I was just feeling it.”

He was feeling something else when Lyons fouled him 40 feet from the basket with 5.9 seconds left, in a 57-57 game.

“Bouncing the ball I could hear a pin drop in the gym,” Fitzgerald said. “But I practice free throws a lot. Nothing new to me.”

Polonowski, a smooth 6-foot-7 junior, scored nine of his 25 points on three three-pointers in the third quarter, as Lyons turned a 19-18 York halftime lead to a 34-28 Lions' lead after three quarters and led by as many as eight.

But Polonowski missed one of two free throws with 15 seconds left in regulation, opening the door for Fitzgerald.

Bobby Vespa’s three-pointer with 1:06 left in the third overtime for Lyons tied it 57-57, setting the stage for Fitzgerald’s free throws.

“If I was a spectator to that I probably would have been really entertained,” Lyons coach Tom Sloan said. “Both teams had chances. Unfortunately they hit a couple really big shots late to get it to overtime, their big guys are effective inside and Fitzgerald got going. We had some good looks that didn’t fall; a couple more free throws go down it doesn’t go to overtime.”