Lane’s gym was at capacity a full hour before the game between the Champions and Young actually tipped off. 

There was no in and out, so if a fan left they were not getting back in. That kept the Lane faithful glued to their seats because this was the Champions’ best chance to beat the Dolphins in decades. 

Lane vs. Young is a school rivalry, not a basketball rivalry. On the basketball court, it has been complete dominance for the Dolphins. Tyrone Slaughter, who took over at Young in 2005, had never lost to Lane. 

Until Wednesday. 

Shaheed Solebo, one of the state’s best uncommitted seniors, scored 34 points to lead Lane to a 67-51 victory against Young. It was the kind of victory that matters, that leads to old alums jumping up and down with joy in the hallway, then trying to describe to a teenager how long they’ve been waiting for the moment. 

Solebo’s performance was about much more than points. Both teams were struggling early. The play was sloppy, with layups rimming out as the players settled in. The gym was sweltering hot and both student sections were loud and vicious. 

“The first two layups I had were like wide open, point blank and I just missed them,” Solebo said. “I had two wide open threes that I missed. But I wasn’t losing four in a row [to Young] I told myself to lock in and calm down. I was a little nervous at first. I just started getting to the basket. Then I was on fire I guess.”

Solebo scored 12 consecutive points in a span from the middle of the first quarter through the first few minutes of the second quarter. That built Lane (14-10, 7-2 Red-North/West) a six-point lead that it never surrendered. 

“[Solebo] has put on a run the past two weeks,” Champions coach Nick LoGalbo said. “He’s been dominant in every performance. He knew what game this was.”

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Young is playing without three injured starters, including star junior Antonio Munoz. Slaughter has some of the area’s most talented sophomores and 6-5 freshman Howard Williams.

“[Lane] has been battling us hard for the better part of four years and they caught us at a tough time,” Slaughter said. “Their veteran guys played like veterans. They wanted to win in front of that electric crowd and our young guys got a flavor of what that looks like.”

Williams led the Dolphins (12-10, 5-2) with 13 points and 13 rebounds and sophomore Marquis Clark scored 12 points. 

The Champions shot 8-for-17 from three-point range. Dylan Pepper, Parker Williams, Jackson Labkon and Kenny Rosario all made threes to help hold off any comeback from Young.

Lane started the year in the preseason Super 25 but didn’t stay there long. Part of that is due to 6-8 Dalton Scantlebury (five points, eight rebounds) missing most of the first half of the season with an injury.

With Scantlebury back and Solebo taking his game to another level, the Champions are playing as well as any team in the Public League. 

“At the beginning of the year you think there is so much time that you have a whole season ahead of you,” Solebo said. “But [after New Year’s] it starts hitting you and you realize you ahve to cherish every moment and every time you go out there you have to play like it might be your last. So that’s what I’ve been doing.”