One of the reasons junior guard/forward Domas Narcevicius was moved from starter to one of the first players off the bench for Stagg came from his ability to spark the team in that role.
Narcevicius’ 3-point shooting can be off the charts, and coach Marty Strus appreciates what that brings to the table for the Chargers.
“We made a team decision in mid-January, and he could have pouted and felt sorry for himself,” Strus said. “That can be tough on a high school player. But he has been so good since then.
“He’s such a team player, and I’m really proud of him for giving himself for the team.”
In that way, Narcevicius provided fuel for the fire Tuesday night.
His half-court basket to end the first quarter charged up the host Chargers, who went on to take a thrilling 58-56 victory over Eisenhower in a Class 4A Stagg Regional semifinal in Palos Hills.
Connor Williams led ninth-seeded Stagg (20-11) with 15 points, including five in the final minute. Narcevicius ended up with 12 points and Yousef Jarad added 10.
Ayipey Salinas finished with 16 points for eighth-seeded Eisenhower (24-8). AJ Abrams and Micah Calvin contributed 14 points apiece and Darrion Pippen had 10.
Stagg plays at 6 p.m. Friday for the regional title against Homewood-Flossmoor (26-4), an 82-45 winner over Lockport. Columbia-bound Gianni Cobb paced the Vikings with 20 points, followed by Bryce Heard with 19 and Carson Brownfield with 14. Drew Gallagher led Lockport (9-21) with 13.
The Chargers, meanwhile, played a sluggish first quarter and trailed 19-10 before Narcevicius’ two-handed, half-court heave went through the net. It unleashed a wild celebration.
“It turned out pretty big, huh?” Strus deadpanned.
“Oh, my God, that was a big momentum booster,” Williams said. “He hit that crazy shot. It was huge. It pumped us up, for sure.”
Narcevicius explained the shot in the simplest terms.
“I just shot it, it flew, and it went in,” Narcevicius said. “I was happy about that. I’ve never made a shot like that in a game.”
Eventually, Williams was fouled on a 3-point attempt and hit all three free throws with 46 seconds left. That would put the Chargers ahead for good in the see-saw game.
“I missed a few free throws at the start of the game,” Williams said. “So I took a deep breath and knocked those down.”
It started out as a huge week for the Eisenhower as Abrams was named the South Suburban Red’s player of the year for the second straight season. He’s the first back-to-back pick in the conference since Richards’ Josh Meier in 2013-14. Neil Miguez was named coach of the year.
But the good feelings ended in the tough regional loss to the Chargers.
On the flip side, Stagg continues to feel good after a regular season that included its first conference title in school history and first winning record since 2016-17.
“I like everything about this team,” Narcevicius said. “It’s a really special group. I’ve been playing with these guys for a couple of years, and there is a lot of love.
“There is also a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and we’ve been able to battle everything out.”
Narcevicius also is making the most of sparking the team off the bench.
Aside from Wednesday’s performance, he delivered a huge 24-point effort in late January that featured eight 3-pointers to tie a program record in a 90-64 victory over Bradley-Bourbonnais.
“When I’m on the bench, I’m getting ready and watching the people playing my position,” Narcevicius said. “Seeing what’s open and what’s not open.
“It was tough when he (Strus) put me there, but it’s a team and we’re winning. I accept that.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
