Lincoln-Way East’s Jonathan Aluyi is the classic looming presence.

With his 6-foot-7 length and massive wingspan, the junior center/forward turned every foray around the basket Tuesday night by Lincoln-Way West into a futile exercise.

“At the start of this season, I was dealing with all of this pressure of being the starting big,” Aluyi said. “But I’ve really grown and worked on my post game. I know I have that big wingspan.

“I have to use it to stay big and stay strong out there.”

To that end, Aluyi came up big and strong with 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots for the Griffins in a 70-56 SouthWest Suburban Conference win in New Lenox.

Senior guard Brenden Sanders scored 18 points for Lincoln-Way East (9-6, 2-3). Senior guard Luke Vetter finished with 13 points and senior guard Aidan Nilsson added eight.

Senior forward Wyatt Carlson led Lincoln-Way West (8-7, 2-3) with 27 points and eight rebounds. Senior forward John Schwerha tallied 11 points and junior guard Drake Been had nine.

During an 18-4 spurt by the Griffins in the third quarter, Aluyi totaled four points, four rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist as the lead soared to 26 points.

“I feel like even if I’m not scoring, I’m always impacting the game,” he said. “I can either draw their defense in on me and I can kick the ball out.

“I’ve worked with our assistant coaches about being that rim protector, and I know I just have to use my size and be that wall.”

Early on, his matriculation to the starting lineup was uneven as a first-year varsity player, but Aluyi has come of age.

“Jonathan impacts the game in so many ways,” Sanders said. “He really helps the team a lot. He has really found his stride in figuring what he wants to do, protecting the rim and getting stops.

“We’ve developed some really good chemistry out there. He’s a great guy, a really smart guy, and it’s easy to find him. You can always count on him.”

With his reach, Aluyi made every Lincoln-Way West player think twice when he was in the vicinity.

The Warriors repeatedly came up short on short shots, worrying about Aluyi’s ability to step out to harass the attempt or get deflections.

“He could make even a good shot look hard for the other kids,” Vetter said. “He’s just tremendous for us. He does a lot of the hard thing that don’t necessarily show up on the stats sheet.

“The way he played defense in that third-quarter run just really stood out. He does a lot of the dirty work around the basket. Without him, we couldn’t do anything.”

Aluyi is the youngest of three brothers. Dorian played at Lincoln-Way North and East, while Ethan played at Lincoln-Way East and Central.

“Dorian was more of a guard and Ethan played the post,” Jonathan said. “Growing up, we had some really competitive games in our garage. They were a lot bigger and physically stronger.

“They always drove me to be my best. I always looked up to them, but I also wanted to be myself. I definitely took aspects of their game. Dorian was a rebounder and Ethan was a playmaker.”

Heady and cerebral, Jonathan Aluyi takes Advanced Placement courses and wants to study computer engineering and coding in college.

He’s also ready to expand all manner of his game.

“My confidence has really gotten jacked up,” Aluyi said. “I love playing with my teammates. They make those big shots and help me get going.

“I’m sure of my abilities on the court, and every day, I get more acclimated out there on the floor.”

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