Appreciation post: Henry Martinez puts head down and goes to work inside for Oak Lawn. ‘That’s my big man. I love him.’

Junior center Henry Martinez keeps his eyes on the court, but what about his ears?

Those are tuned in to hear Oak Lawn coach Jason Rhodes, who is always ready to guide the 6-foot-7 Martinez in being the team’s all-around anchor from the rough sailing inside.

“I have worked a lot on all parts of my game, especially on how I react to the double team,” he said. “Now when the double comes, I always try to see the open man.

“My coach is always screaming at me to pass the ball, so this is something I have to do.”

As a first-year starter, Martinez sees every game as a new opportunity to show off his evolving and versatile approach.

He managed nine points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots Friday night for host Oak Lawn in a 64-40 South Suburban Red victory over Eisenhower.

Those totals exceeded Martinez’s season averages of six points and six rebounds.

Senior guard Ayham Salah also scored 18 of his game-high 21 points in the second half for Oak Lawn (10-6, 2-2). He made five 3-pointers.

That superb outside shooting provided the perfect complement to open space on the floor, enabling Martinez to operate closer to the basket.

“That’s my big man,” Salah said. “I love him. We’re always working together and we’re always connected. I have been playing with him since middle school — we just have that connection.

“When he gets the ball down low in the paint, everybody has to flow to him. We move the ball around, and that leaves me wide open.”

Senior forward Eduardo Chiquito is the other running mate for Martinez in the frontcourt. He matched Martinez with nine points and added six rebounds.

Junior guard Darrion Pippen led Eisenhower (6-10, 0-5) with 12 points. The Cardinals scored the game’s first seven points.

A 19-2 burst by Oak Lawn in the third quarter, however, put the game out of reach.

Junior point guard Avian Abrams, meanwhile, showcased a superb all-around game for Eisenhower with nine points, six rebounds and five assists.

His quickness off the dribble and ability to create for his teammates forced Rhodes to shift his defensive tactics.

“I think of myself as a team player,” Abrams said. “I try to get everybody on my team involved as much as I can.

“I had some success early, and then that box-and-one they threw at me stopped me. I wasn’t able to get the ball to my teammates the same way.”

In his second varsity season, Abrams has become more comfortable at the point of the attack.

The relative youth and inexperience of the Cardinals, though, tends to overwhelm some of the individual success.

“I have been on the varsity since my sophomore year, and I think I have improved a lot in the last year,” Abrams said. “I have gotten more aggressive with the ball and I have shot better.”

The outside shooting of Salah broke the game open. Interior defense and rim protection from Martinez walled off the Cardinals’ quick guards and kept them from the basket.

Martinez forced Eisenhower to shoot from range. The Cardinals could not sustain their hot start.

At the same time, Martinez’s offensive rebounding gave the Spartans repeated second-chance opportunities.

“Offensively I think my game has gotten better and I think it will improve more once I get more practice time,” Martinez said. “I am not the same player I was a year ago. I had a good experience playing club basketball over the summer.

“Now, I can face up to the basket. Sometimes, I have to be more of a traditional low-post player with my back to the basket. No matter what, my coach just wants me to be active down there.”

Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.