After the Wolverines got right back in the game, the Lyle-Pacelli boys basketball team used a late surge to get past Glenville-Emmons 70-54 in Pacelli Gym Monday.

The Athletics (13-9 overall, 11-5 SEC) held an 11-point advantage at half-time, but the Wolverines (6-15 overall, 5-11 SEC) clawed back to within 48-47 with Derek Van Ryswk hit a three-pointer with 10:05 left in the game. LP was able to get momentum back when Nathan Drees hit one of two from the line to make it 49-47 LP and Lee Bauer drew Van Ryswk’s fourth foul of the night while grabbing an offensive rebound. Van Ryswk finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, but LP was able to build its lead up with him out of the game.

“He’s a good player and he can keep teams in the game,” LP head coach Scott Koenigs said of Van Ryswk. “We talked about not losing him and knowing where he was at all times. That’s the one thing that I wasn’t happy about.”

The Athletics took over the game in the final eight minutes as they closed the contest out on an 18-5 run. Braden Kocer, who had 24 points, and Noah Jiskra, who finished with 17 points, were able to attack GE’s defense in the late minutes.

“I think after that timeout we kind of switched our focus to be more aggressive with the ball,” Jiskra said. “Once they pressed us tight, we had a little more space and the floor was more spread out. We were able to drive.”

The Athletics have just four game remaining in the regular season and its four seniors, who are all in the starting lineup, are starting to feel a sense of urgency.

“We’re a senior led team and we know it’s close to playoff time and that’s when teams have to play their best,” Kocer said. “We feel like we’re starting to turn the corner and starting to play our best basketball.”

GE 28 26 — 54

LP 39 31 — 70

LP scoring: Braden Kocer, 24; Noah Jiskra, 17; Jordan Cotter, 10; Lee Bauer, 9; Brady Lester, 4; Jed Nelson, 3; Nathan Drees, 1; free throws: 50 percent (14-for-28); rebounds: 22 (Bauer, 7); turnovers: 5