Senior forward Eli Bach has enough talent where he could probably just hang around outside the 3-point line and enjoy a substantial amount of success for Lincoln-Way West.

Bach doesn’t want to do that, however. He wants to mix it up.

“Going to the basket is more my thing,” he said. “I can knock down an open shot, but I like driving better. Ever since I was a kid, I was faster, so it’s always been a thing I’ve been used to.

“It’s a little more my craft.”

The Warriors crafted a 60-26 victory Tuesday night over Universal in a Spartan-Ram Classic second-round game at Oak Lawn as the 6-foot-2 Bach had 10 points and six rebounds in a quarter and a half of action.

Jacob Bereza ended up leading Lincoln-Way West (2-0) with 11 points. Max Gabriel added nine points. Saad Mowla paced Universal (0-2) with 12 points.

After the Warriors jumped to a 28-2 lead, coach Tanner Mitchell subbed frequently. Bach opened the season Monday scoring 33 points in a 70-56 win over Bremen.

So, what happens when Lincoln-Way West gets to the meat of its schedule and starts playing against some of 6-6, 6-7 or even taller players?

“I’ll go right at them,” Bach said. “They don’t scare me. They are tall, yeah, but it’s all about how you play it.”

Bach has had an interesting career. Not only is he a two-sport athlete with basketball and soccer, he played on varsity all four years in both sports.

He plays basketball with the same aggression he does in soccer.

“In soccer, I’m a little bit bigger than everyone else,” Bach said. “I’m still very aggressive.”

“He’s an animal,” Mitchell said of Bach.

Bereza enjoys watching Bach go to work on fast breaks, but he also likes how Bach controls the tempo of a game.

“There are times he slows it down and keeps everyone relaxed,” Bereza said. “He’s a good guy out there to play with.”

The Warriors were 11-21 last season but are hoping to turn things around this winter. Mitchell will be counting on Bach and Bereza, a three-year varsity regular who also plays football, for leadership.

“They are the heartbeat of our team,” Mitchell said. “We rely on them for just about everything. Scoring. Leadership. Defense.

“They are great kids and good team leaders. As a coach, you couldn’t ask for two better seniors to lead your team.”

In football, Lincoln-Way West made it to the Class 7A quarterfinals. Six players for the basketball team got a late start because of that, but Mitchell believes the Warriors will get better as the season progresses.

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Meanwhile, with seven different varsity seasons under his belt, Bach’s career at Lincoln-Way West is close to coming to an end.

“High school went by very fast,” he said. “These four years just flew by. You have to make the most of it. It’s my last year, and I just want to go out there and have fun.”

Going into high school, he wasn’t sure he would be brought up to the varsity in either sport.

“Athletically, I felt like I was there,” he said. “But the skills had to develop as I went on. I got the opportunity to do it and I just ran with it.”

Bach said he likes both sports almost equally but gives soccer a slight edge. His college future is up in the air.

“I’m still exploring my options a little bit,” he said. “I don’t know if I can play both. I’ll have to pick one, but I’m not ready to pick it just yet. But the time is coming soon.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.