On a team full of talent, senior forward Marquis Vance has become Marist’s heart and soul.

At 6-foot-4, Vance is often matched up with bigger players, but he’s been one of the area’s most productive rebounders. And as far as RedHawks coach Brian Hynes is concerned, Vance sets the standard for everyone else.

“The biggest thing with Marquis, his leadership style, is by actions,” Hynes said. “He’s vocal, but it’s impossible not to watch how hard he plays. I’ve said this before but I think our kids are sick of hearing, ‘Why can’t you be more like Marquis?’

“I don’t know where we’d be without him. I love the kid.”

Vance put together another double-double performance Tuesday night. The North Park recruit finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds as host Marist held on for a 61-53 win over De La Salle in Chicago.

Rokas Zilys poured in 27 points to lead the RedHawks (28-2), who extended their winning streak to 15 and have not lost in 2025. Adoni Vassilakis scored eight points, Stephen Brown added seven points and six rebounds, and Karson Thomas chipped in with six points.

Morgan Travis scored 19 points and Charles Barnes finished with 17 for De La Salle (14-16). Roosevelt Thomas and Remi Edwards each contributed seven points, with Edwards also pulling down 12 rebounds.

Vance, meanwhile, has made double-doubles look routine. He turned in a monster performance on Feb. 4 in a 75-57 win over Fenger, finishing with 40 points and 20 rebounds.

“It’s great, but it’s all about coming out with the win,” Vance said. “It’s just playing tough and playing for my teammates. It’s just loving them and battling hard for them every night.”Zilys knows he can always count on Vance to give the RedHawks everything he’s got.

“I think it’s just his mentality,” Zilys said. “He always does everything at 100%. He knows we need the little things and Marquis always does that so well.”

Vance said he started playing basketball in fourth or fifth grade.

“My mom (Matricia) always wanted me to play, so she signed me up with an AAU team.” Vance said. “She played basketball in high school and she’s pretty tall. Both my parents are tall, 6-2 or more, so I knew I was going to have the height for it.”

Vance, though, is still a bit small to sometimes be the tallest player on the court for Marist. It’s no sweat, however.

“I feel like I had to adjust to the position that I’m playing right now but it’s been great,” he said. “I don’t think it was a challenge. The biggest challenge was taking on a bigger leadership role and trying to help the new guys, motivate them and help bring everyone together.”

On Sunday, Vance announced his commitment to North Park, an NCAA Division III program in Chicago.

“I’m so happy for him,” Hynes said. “He works so hard and he deserves it. North Park seems like a similar environment to Marist, so I think it’s perfect for him.”

De La Salle kept things close throughout Tuesday night’s game, but Zilys was too much for the Meteors to handle. He scored 11 points in the third quarter, hitting a trio of 3-pointers.

When De La Salle pulled within 49-45 with under four minutes remaining, Zilys countered with four straight points.

“I was just doing anything to help the team win,” Zilys said. “I saw we were struggling, so I had to pick the team up.”

That’s something Vance can always be counted on for, as well.

“The interesting thing for us is we’re just never surprised because that’s how he is every day,” Hynes said of Vance. “Even if we have an hour shootaround, he’s dripping in sweat.

“He just gets the guys going. He’s the pick-me-up guy.”