Leonhard Heats Lions

Daily Herald, WED Nov 29, 2006

The Lisle Lions are hoping energy costs don’t rise much more, especially the way they’re leaving The Microwave on all game.

Senior forward Derek Leonard, aptly nicknamed after the kitchen appliance, scored 28 points Tuesday night against host Wheaton Academy in a 57-56 victory for the Lions, justifying the moniker he’s earned.

“One of the coaches calls him The Microwave because if he makes his first shot, he might make his next 10,” Lisle coach Mark LaScala said. “When he heats up, he heats up quickly.”

For the record, Leonard didn’t make his first shot. However, he buried 12 baskets, which included going 3-for-4 from behind the arc, to give Lisle (4-2) just enough offense to overcome a Wheaton Academy squad that refused to die.

Leonard found himself in a shootout in the first half with Warriors guard Ben Euler. Leonard had 19 first-half points compared to Euler’s 15, and Lisle went to the locker room nursing a 32-26 lead.

Joel Malmquist of Wheaton Academy, left, tries to get off a shot next to Dan Wenclawski of Lisle during nonconference play Tuesday in West Chicago. (Paul Michna/Daily Herald)
Lisle increased its lead at the end of the third quarter to 7 points, as a combination of poor defense on Wheaton Academy’s part and the containment of Euler saw the Warriors fall behind 47-40.

“I felt like we had two bad quarters defensively,” said Wheaton Academy coach Paul Ferguson. “Our second and third quarters, we just played really, really soft and we just couldn’t get into what we were trying to do defensively, and that really cost us the game right there.”

Equally important to the outcome of the game was Leonard being able to shut down Euler in the second half. The Warriors’ sharpshooter accounted for only 5 points in the half while attempting only 2 shots.

“What I thought was most impressive about his performance was not only was the scoring points on our end, but he was also guarding their best player,” LaScala said of Leonard’s effort.

Still, Wheaton Academy (0-5) managed to right the ship in the fourth quarter, rallying back to within 1 point after a John Albaugh basket. After the Lions turned the ball over on their end on the ensuing possession, Wheaton Academy had a chance to win the game in the final 15 seconds.

The original play drawn up by the Warriors failed, but with six seconds left, Joel Malmquist took a wide-open look at a 3. His attempt fell just short, bouncing off the front of the rim and securing the Lions’ 1-point win.

“It was a good look,” Ferguson said of Malmquist’s attempt. “It wasn’t what we designed … and so we adjusted well, and we kicked it back out and we had the wide-open look.

“It was a good shot, but it didn’t go down.”

As for Leonard, the offensive performance left even himself searching for words.

“I was just feeling it, I don’t know,” Leonard said after the game. “I can’t really explain it.”