Oswego East junior Mekhi Lowery described himself as a hybrid talent.

“I am a very versatile player,” he said. “I say I’m a guard, but I could play any position. I really like defense. That is my strength.”

With his length and disruptive actions, the 6-foot-4 Lowery can make life very difficult for opposing shooters. Naperville North earned that lesson firsthand.

Lowery finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds Wednesday night for the Wolves in a 52-37 victory during pool play of the Hoops for Healing Tournament at Oswego.

Behind Lowery’s ambidextrous skills and defensive ferocity, Oswego East (3-0) broke the game open with a 19-0 run in the first half.

Junior guard Ryan Johnson added 11 points and senior guard Darren Oregon also scored 10 points for the Wolves.

Naperville North (1-2) shot just 4 of 26 from the floor in the first half as Oswego East built a 31-13 halftime lead.

Sophomore guard Luke Williams had a game-high 15 points for Naperville North. Luke Williams and his older brother Zeke, a senior guard, were the only Huskies to score in the first half.

Luke Williams is still recovering from fracturing a finger on his non-shooting left hand during the DuPage Valley Conference championship game in football.

“After our last football game, I was able to shoot with a hard cast,” Luke said. “I have a new cast now, a softer one, that I will wear for the next two weeks. I am still getting my rhythm and touch down.

“We are a young team and we are going to make mistakes. Shots are not always going to fall, especially at the beginning of the season. We just have to keep our energy up.”

The only down note for Oswego East was senior guard DeVon Oregon going out with an injury off a drive at the start of the second quarter.

The Wolves led by as many as 26 points.

“We have the chance to be really good defensively,” Oswego East coach Ryan Velasquez said. “We have some length and we have the opportunity for our defense to lead to strong transition chances for our offense.

“I thought that led to some easy looks offensively.”

The Wolves showed exceptional passing and movement off the ball, recording 16 assists on 21 baskets.

“We scouted them very well, we had a good game plan and we

converted very well,” Lowery said. “Especially during that first half.”

In his first full season on the varsity, Lowery is ready to take off.

“It has been great getting back into the gym,” Lowery said. “We did a great job making passes and moving. We are eager to move and eager to run.”

With Lowery dominating the boards, Oswego East ended up with a 48-25 advantage in rebounding.

Missouri-St. Louis recruit Patrick Robinson contributed eight points and five rebounds. Oregon scored four points before the injury.

After making 13 3-pointers in Tuesday’s victory over Downers South, Naperville North shot just 6 of 33 from three.

Zeke Williams had six points and three rebounds.

“Coming from football to basketball is not that big of a change, but you have to get your skills defined,” he said. “Football is more about feet and now the skills are just different, using your hands and dribbling, passing and shooting.”

Naperville North showed hustle and athleticism. The Huskies forced 24 turnovers and chalked up 15 steals.

“We are a young team, and we never get tired,” Zeke said. “We play hard until the very end. The bad thing is we’re young, and we are going to make young mistakes.”

Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.