Nothing like it for Nojus Indrusaitis as St. Rita clinches Catholic League Blue title. ‘I trust these people.’

As St. Rita took some tough losses playing a challenging schedule filled with opponents from across the country, star junior forward Nojus Indrusaitis admitted there were moments where he questioned his decision to transfer from Lemont.

But those instances, he said, were fleeting.

What Indrusaitis believes will last are memories like those from Friday, when he ended the night wearing a Catholic League Blue champions T-shirt and hat and carrying a special ball he was presented before the game for eclipsing 1,000 career points.

“As a human, when things go bad, you’re just going to doubt it a little bit,” Indrusaitis said. “But I know what we have in the locker room. I trust these people. I trust my teammates.

“I always knew we were going to bounce back.”

Indrusaitis, an Iowa State recruit, capped his first regular season with St. Rita by pouring in 22 points as the host Mustangs clinched the outright Catholic League Blue title with a 73-48 rout of St. Ignatius.

Illinois recruit Morez Johnson finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds for St. Rita (21-10, 12-1). North Carolina commit James Brown had 13 points, while Nashawn Holmes contributed 11 points and six rebounds.

Owen Kyhl led St. Ignatius (19-11, 7-6) with 19 points.

It was the seventh straight win for St. Rita, which made sure to celebrate its league championship while sharing the accomplishment with its fans.

“All year, it’s been up and down,” Indrusaitis said. “It’s been a roller coaster. So, we want to enjoy these little moments, appreciate these moments, have a good time for the moment and then move on and focus on the playoffs.”

Indrusaitis was on right from the start, scoring nine points in the first quarter.

It was the kind of groove St. Rita coach Roshawn Russell has seen the heralded transfer get into time and time again.

“He can do so much,” Russell said. “There are stretches I just stay out of the way and let him put the ball in the basket. He’s taken on a challenge defensively and he’s definitely been better at that end of the floor, but he can score from anywhere on the floor.

“That’s a nightmare for the other team, especially when you have two high-profile guys with (Johnson and Brown). That gives Nojus more freedom.”

Indrusaitis and Holmes, who transferred from Homewood-Flossmoor, came into St. Rita together as the new guys.

“Me and Nojus definitely helped each other,” Holmes said. “We talk a lot. He’s just a heck of a player.”

After St. Ignatius closed within 56-46 with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Holmes helped spark a 16-0 run by throwing down a huge tip dunk.

It turned into a highlight reel down the stretch for the Mustangs, with Brown and Johnson adding to the showcase of dunks.

Johnson is now ready to turn his attention to the postseason.

St. Rita is seeded third in the Class 4A sectional it is hosting and opens up against 15th-seeded Morgan Park in a Stagg Regional semifinal Wednesday.

“We weren’t really worried about the regular season,” Johnson said. “We worried about right now. Those were basically reps for us, to learn each other and learn how to play.”

Indrusaitis has certainly learned how to fit in and succeed.

“It’s been good,” Indrusaitis said. “A lot of ups and downs. People doubted us a lot. We had to stay positive and keep our heads high.

“It’s been a great experience with great coaches and I’m excited for the playoffs and excited for the future.”

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.