Lately, Kyle Olagbegi alternates between ice cold and red hot off the court.
He was ice cold and then red hot on the court Friday night for Lincoln-Way East.
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The 6-foot-6 senior forward has been going through a rigorous recovery process after rolling both ankles at the Effingham/Teutopolis Christmas Classic.
“After practices or games, I have an ice bath and stretch,” Olagbegi said of his achy ankles. “When I get back, I have Epsom salt and hot water and go through mobility exercises.
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“Anything I can do to get better.”
After Lincoln-Way East coach Rich Kolimas shut him down for a few games, Olagbegi made a triumphant return this week. His second game back came Friday against Stagg.
Olagbegi misfired on all six shots in the first half but was scorching in the second, missing just one for a 60-42 victory in a SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover in Frankfort.
Riding the roller coaster, Olagbegi finished with 14 points for the Griffins (20-2).
“I’m still not 100%, but I can play,” Olagbegi said. “I started out slow. My coach told me to slow down, be patient with the ball and work within the offense.”
His team-leading output — 13 points in the second half, with nine in the fourth quarter — comes on the heels of a 19-point performance Tuesday in a 71-58 victory over Homewood-Flossmoor.
George Bellevue had 12 points and 16 rebounds Friday, while freshman guard BJ Powell added nine points and sparked the Griffins early with five in the first quarter.
David Ortiz led Stagg (10-13) with 14 points and Domas Narcevicius added 11. The Chargers ended up with eight 3-pointers.
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Bellevue said he was glad to have Olagbegi back in the fold. Olagbegi is getting looks from various colleges, including Chicago State.
“Even if he is off on offense, he does so much on defense,” Bellevue said. “You need guys like that to step up. It’s not all about scoring. It’s a team game.”
“He’s getting back into the groove,” Kolimas said of Olagbegi. “He still doesn’t look completely himself yet, but there was a practice in which he was not jumping right and looked awkward and we shut him down. He gutted this one out.”
Olagbegi’s return, however, did not bring the Griffins back to full strength. Senior guards Tylon Toliver and Kaiden Ross were missing in action.
Toliver has a wrist injury, while Ross is working through a hip flexor and a banged up shin. Kolimas is not sure when they will return.
“We’ve been able to win through the injuries,” Kolimas said. “But we want them back.”
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Stagg, which has lost four in a row, trailed 28-16 at halftime. The Chargers cut the lead to five twice in the third quarter but could not get any closer.
Still, Stagg outscored the Griffins 18-12 in the third quarter despite being outrebounded 8-1.
“East is really good, and I’m proud of our guys and how tough they played,” Stagg coach Marty Strus said. “It’s hard to keep saying ‘rebound, rebound’ when they are so big down there.
“We have to find a way. That’s not an excuse. We have to learn to win differently.”
This is just the third time in program history Lincoln-Way East has won 20 or more games. The Griffins went 20-11 in 2016-17, followed by a 23-6 record in 2017-18, the season they won their only regional.
They know this season could be special.
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“We’re maturing and everyone is getting better in practice,” Bellevue said. “Let’s just keep it up.”
“We’re looking to go as far as we can,” Olagbegi said. “Once we’re all at 100%, we will be hard to beat.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
