Leo's Karon Shavers leads team to state semifinals

Junior guard scores 22 points in 54-33 win over Hyde Park in Class 3A supersectional

Mar. 10, 2026 at 3:13am

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Karon Shavers, a 5-foot-10 junior guard for the Leo Lions basketball team, scored 22 points to lead his team to a 54-33 victory over Hyde Park in the Class 3A UIC Supersectional. Shavers made 9 of 11 shots and also had 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists as the Lions advanced to the state semifinals, where they will face East St. Louis.

Why it matters

This win marks the Lions' seventh straight victory and avenges an earlier loss to Hyde Park. It also sends Leo to the state semifinals for the first time since 2016, when they finished as the Class 1A runner-up. Shavers' breakout performance has been crucial to the team's late-season surge.

The details

Shavers scored 9 straight points to spark an 11-0 run in the first quarter and had 14 points in a 21-2 burst that gave the Lions a big lead. He also set up two 3-pointers by teammate Jeremiah Echols, who finished with 14 points. Leo's defense forced 18 turnovers and recorded 16 steals. Shavers capped the win with a 27-foot jumper after Hyde Park had pulled within 10 points.

  • The game was played on Monday, March 10, 2026 at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago.
  • Leo will play East St. Louis in the Class 3A state semifinals on Friday, March 14, 2026 at 11:45 a.m. in Champaign.

The players

Karon Shavers

A 5-foot-10 junior guard for the Leo Lions who scored 22 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, had 4 steals, and dished out 3 assists in the win over Hyde Park.

Jeremiah Echols

A junior guard for the Leo Lions who scored 14 points and had 2 steals.

Jimalle Ridley

The head coach of the Leo Lions basketball team.

Asa Harris

A junior guard for the Leo Lions who scored 7 points and had 4 steals.

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What they’re saying

“I just felt it the whole day. I knew that I had to come out and bring my best effort in everything I did. I felt the momentum.”

— Karon Shavers, Junior Guard, Leo Lions

“Karon has been here since freshman year, and he really had to step into this moment. It took difficult days, a lot of days where he didn't perform up to his standards. But it built to this moment. He finally bought in and showed his best qualities.”

— Jimalle Ridley, Head Coach, Leo Lions

“He's a great player and he did what great players do. They take your team over the hump. He got each of us to play better out there and to play together. He took us to the promised land.”

— Asa Harris, Junior Guard, Leo Lions

What’s next

The Leo Lions will face East St. Louis in the Class 3A state semifinals on Friday, March 14, 2026 at 11:45 a.m. in Champaign.

The takeaway

Karon Shavers' breakout performance in the supersectional win has propelled the Leo Lions to the state semifinals, where they will look to capture the program's first state championship appearance since 2016. Shavers' combination of scoring, playmaking, and defensive intensity has been crucial to the team's late-season surge.