Lemont’s Gabriel Sularski knew by the look on his team’s bench how scarce the time was.
The 6-foot-6 junior guard then quickly played out every scenario that he could imagine.
“I had to take the ball out of bounds, and I was not certain whether I’d get the ball back,” Sularski said. “I got the handoff on the inbounds, I saw their big guy, and I just knew I had to attack.”
And that’s exactly what he did.
Sularski’s 3-point play with 3.9 seconds remaining Wednesday night powered Lemont to a 56-54 victory over Marian Catholic in a Class 3A Brother Rice Sectional semifinal in Chicago.
Lemont (26-7), which won its 12th straight game, will play at 7 p.m. Friday against the host Crusaders (28-6) for the sectional championship.
A theatrical stage frames Brother Rice’s basketball court, a fitting monument given how Sularski and Marian Catholic’s Zack Sharkey put on a highlight-reel show worthy of a Tony award.
Sharkey, a senior guard, finished with 32 points for the Spartans (26-8). His 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining built a 54-53 lead. He also scored 19 points in the second quarter.
While senior forward Delan Davis finished with 11 points for Marian, Sularski responded with 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists. His creativity and playmaking proved to be crucial.
“When I came into Lemont this summer, I didn’t really what to expect,” said Sularski, who transferred in from Benet. “I knew I had really good shooters around me.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve always learned to be a playmaker for myself and play for others. That has always been a big factor for me.”
Sularski’s playmaking set up senior forward Matas Gaidukevicius, who made three 3-pointers in scoring 13 points. Senior guard Shea Glotzbach added eight points.
As a first-year player in the program, Sularski showed remarkable chemistry and awareness of his new teammates. He found openings in Lemont’s motion offense, optimizing the half court game.
“A lot of teams like to start out by face-guarding me or other shooters, and that gives him so much space inside to do what he does,” Gaidukevicius said. “When he first got here, it was kind of awkward because most of us play the same way and suddenly somebody new got thrown.
“We’ve had a lot of time to build this chemistry.”
Significantly, the winner came with Sularski driving right and shooting with his nominal off-hand. The natural left-hander prefers to finish with his right hand in lane and around the basket.
“He’s very ambidextrous that way,” Lemont coach Rick Runaas said. “I have him in class, and I know he writes with his right hand. He hits a golf club and shoots with his left.
“He had his ups and downs, some turnovers, some missed shots, but he’s always up for the challenge.”
Sularski finished through contact against Marian’s Landon Mays, a solid 6-5 sophomore forward.
“I broke my thumb in fifth grade, so I got to work on my left hand even more than usual,” Sularski said. “I’ve worked really hard to get strong with both hands. Everyone tries to just force me right.
“But that’s huge for me having the finishing ability with either hand.”
Sularski also shrugged off an air ball on a 3-point attempt. He never lost his cool, even when Marian surged with a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter that wiped out Lemont’s nine-point lead.
“I’ve talked about this a lot with my coach that resilience is a big thing with me,” he said. “Not everything’s going to go your way. There are going to be turnovers.
“If you let it get to your head, you’ll lose the game. No matter what, I try to stay through it.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
