Libertyville keeps it together against Lake Forest

A basic precept for this year's Libertyville boys basketball is team togetherness.

And the bond seems to be growing under new coach Brent Mork, as the Wildcats won for the seventh time in nine games and a second straight time in North Suburban Lake Division action.

Libertyville got an early jump on host Lake Forest and rolled away with a 54-31 victory on Wednesday night.

The Scouts played the game without 6-foot-7 Lorenzo Edwards, who sat out the game with an injured shoulder.

Paul Steinhaus led the way for the Wildcats with a game-high 14 points, and Brandon Rule came off the bench with 10 points.

“I've played better over the last few games and working myself better in the rotations,” said Rule, who recently returned to basketball after a key role with the Class 7A state runner-up football team. “I feel that my football mentality helps me because it prepares you — basketball, it's physical and you're not afraid of the contact. I'm not the biggest guy (6-foot-2), but I like to embrace the role with the team, with the dirty work. I fight for the boards and do whatever I can for the points.”

One thing Libertyville had in its favor Wednesday was their intensity out of the gate. The Wildcats scored the first 11 points as Steinhaus capped the opening run with a 3 with 4:05 left in the first quarter. By the end of the period, Libertyville led 19-6.

“The guys were focused from the start,” Libertyville coach Brent Mork said. “We needed to come out with energy. We knew Lake Forest was going to bring out toughness and bring energy from the start. We wanted to match it and rise above it. We're just trying to do the same things over and over. Our whole goal is to focus and get better.”

Libertyvile shot above 50 percent for the first half and held a 32-12 lead at the break.

Lake Forest (4-4, 1-2) struggled throughout the game with its shooting.

“The ball didn't go down that much for us,” Lake Forest coach Phil LaScala said. “We didn't make a whole lot of shots, inside or out. Give some credit to the defense that Libertyville had on us. We have to do better and execute better.”

Edwards injured his shoulder last week against Zion-Benton.

“His shoulder is a little sore, and it popped out a couple days ago,” LaScala said. “He hurt it last summer and it's a recurrence of the injury. It was a more preventive to sit him down. It's real sore, and we don't play again until the 26th (at the York Holiday Tournament).”