Kyle Lipke takes Providence beyond Evergreen Park

of providence Kyle Lipke I couldn’t believe it.

Teammate Tyler Cucio On Wednesday night, he fed the 6-foot-10 senior forward a pass and there was nothing there but Lipke and the basket, so he delivered a monster dunk.

“He handed me the ball and I said, ‘There it is,’” he said. “Then I said, ‘Boom.’ Just like that.”

This explosion was huge for the Celtics, who beat host Evergreen Park 75-67 in the non-conference. It came with 1:24 left in the tight game that put Providence ahead 65-62.

junior guard Seth Cheney He emphasized the meaning behind Lipke’s dunk.

“That was the exclamation point right there,” Cheney said. “That was a big time.”

Cheney led the Celtics (15-12) to their sixth straight win with 27 points, 21 of which came in the first half. Colin Crean He added 13 points and then bob jenner with 11 and Lipke with eight.

Three Dowdells trailed Evergreen Park (20-10) by 19 points. Billy Buchanan 17 added, Nolan Sexton There were 15 and Keshaun Vaval The Mustangs were 12-4 in their previous 16 games.

providence coach Tim Trendel He was happy Lipke was able to electrify the crowd with his dunk and give the Celtics, who are 8-1 in their last nine games, some momentum during a big shutout streak.

“This gave us a lot of energy and everyone breathed a sigh of relief,” Trendel said. “He’s done this a few times in other games. He’s sort of the unsung hero of the group.

“Seth is the guy, but Kyle is the guy who has to get in there and do the dirty work. We trust him very much. We’re a much better team when he’s there.”

Lipke, meanwhile, credited Cucio for the pass.

“Yeah, that was a big play,” Lipke said. But this won’t happen without my teammates.”

Cheney said Lipke’s presence was crucial.

“The biggest thing is that he’s there,” Cheney said. “We can leave space on the field and this makes our attack much easier. We can move the ball on the wing and he can shoot.

“And when we give it to him, he can take it to the basket.”

Providence, Celtics’ Wheaton St. He’s come a long way since Jan. 19, when he lost 54-37 to Francis and fell to 7-11. That’s why Trendel was happy that the close victory clinched his winning record.

That may be a modest goal for some, but Providence hasn’t had a winning season since 2014-15, when he was a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Miles Boykin He was helping lead the Celtics.

“Getting over .500 was one of our goals coming into the season,” Trendel said. “We’ve got to build this brick by brick. You want to make sure your team is playing its best basketball in March.

“That’s the goal. “Maybe we’ll make some sacrifices in November and December, but that’s the time of year when you’re going to be at your best.”

After a strong first half, Cheney credited his teammates with getting the win even though the points didn’t come as quickly for him in the final 16 minutes.

“When the shots don’t fall or you close down, they pick you up and move on,” Cheney said.

Lipke, who is also a baseball pitcher for the Celtics, is uncertain about his athletic future after graduating from Providence. He said he’s been playing basketball since the third grade.

If so, he will miss the sport.

“I love the team chemistry and the unity of the team,” he said. “I’m really grateful to my coaches and everything they’ve done for us.

“When I was little I was always one of the biggest kids and they threw me down. Coach Trendel gives me the opportunity to expand my scope and do different things.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.