Justin Oliver's late surge beats Lincoln Park and secures Curie's fourth city championship

Curie guard Justin Oliver is a nearly perfect representation of his school’s successful basketball program. Unknown and underrated early, he finished his career at the very top of Chicago basketball.

“Justin is a special kid,” Curie coach Mike Oliver said. “He came in with no name and leaves First Team All-City. He’s a quiet killer. That’s what Curie does, we sneak up on people and grind it out.”

The No. 3 Condors beat No. 21 Lincoln Park 59-50 to win the city championship on Friday at UIC. It’s the fourth city title for Oliver and the Condors.

Justin Oliver and coach Oliver are not related, but Justin’s dad played for coach Oliver.

“This has been surreal for my dad,” Justin Oliver said. “He loves it. He loves the program and trusts Mike.”

Justin Oliver led the Condors (26-1) with 15 points and seven assists. He stepped up huge in the fourth quarter with eight points and multiple assists as Curie turned a three-point advantage into a double-digit lead.

“They told me they needed me, so I got in the paint and made some passes,” Oliver said. [Kendall Holliday and Keith Collins] were the x-factors.”

Holliday, a 6-4 senior and Collins, a 6-8 senior, dominated in the post as the Condors out-rebounded Lincoln Park 33-19.

Holliday finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds and Collins added 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

“We just need Collins to be big and cause havoc,” Mike Oliver said. “Any points he gives us is a bonus. We needed him for the defense. That’s where we came up short last year, we had no one to rebound and play good defense in the paint.”

Mike Oliver’s son, Mike Oliver Jr., scored three points and had three assists.

“This one is real special because these are the guys [my son] came in with and their goal was to sophomore champs and city champs [and they accomplished it,” Mike Oliver said.

Curie led 22-18 after a fun, fast first quarter. The rest of the game was a physical, foul-filled slog. Lincoln Park starters Ahmad Lee (nine points) and Larry Harris (eight points, six rebounds) fouled out late in the game.

“This feels amazing,” Holliday said. “It doesn’t feel great it feels tremendous. Just excellent. I worked hard for it. Even though this goal is done we still have the state championship goal and we have to work even harder for that.”

Curie’s only loss this season was to top-ranked DePaul Prep at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament. The emergence of Collins will be a significant factor in the Condors’ state playoff run.

“We worked so hard for this moment,” Justin Oliver said. “To beat a team playing their best basketball feels great. I’m ready to go win state now.”

Senior guard Jaylen Dickerson led Lincoln Park (20-8) with 17 points and sophomore Alvin Robinson scored 17.

This was the first city title game appearance for Lincoln Park in 122 years. The school was called North Division when it knocked off Austin to win the championship in 1904. It was renamed Waller and then became Lincoln Park in the late 1970s.

“I’m proud of these guys,” Lions coach Josh Anderson said. “They made a run and started playing good basketball at the right time. We didn’t finish the goal but we got where we wanted to be and our young guys were able to get a taste of the atmosphere. That is great for the program.”

The complete list of Public League title games

2025—Kenwood 67, Curie 65

2024—Curie 65, Kenwood 59

2023—Simeon 72, Kenwood 64

2022—Young 55, Curie 50

2021—No city tournament due to COVID

2020—Simeon 81, Morgan Park 76

2019—Curie 65, Young 60

2018—Simeon 69, Orr 59

2017—Simeon 68, Morgan Park 64

2016—Simeon 54, Kenwood 49

2015—Bogan 47, Simeon, 42

2014—Curie 69, Young 66 4 OT, (later forfeited)

2013—Young 60, Morgan Park 56, OT

2012—Simeon 53, Curie 49

2011—Brooks 67, Young 54

2010—Morgan Park 61, Marshall 60

2009—North Lawndale 54, Hyde Park 51, OT

2008—Marshall 55, Farragut 51

2007—Simeon 89, Washington 57

2006—Simeon 55, Washington 40

2005—Westinghouse 67, Simeon 52

2004—Westinghouse 60, Simeon 48

2003—Crane 80, Julian 68

2002—Westinghouse 62, Farragut 58

2001—Morgan Park 67, Crane 60

2000—Westinghouse 82, Young 60

1999—King 59, Westinghouse 39

1998—Young 67, King 46

1997—Young 72, Manley 50

1996—Westinghouse 55, Farragut 46

1995—Farragut 71, Carver 62

1994—Westinghouse 59, King 58

1993—King 77, Westinghouse 52

1992—Westinghouse 76, King 68

1991—Marshall 58, Westinghouse 38

1990—King 83, Westinghouse 48

1989—King 67, Simeon 57

1988—Simeon 66, King 59

1987—King 93, Crane 66

1986—King 49, Simeon 46

1985—Simeon 65, Carver 54

1984—Simeon 44, Robeson 42

1983—Marshall 67, Collins 62, 2 OT

1982—Marshall 58, Crane 48

1981—Westinghouse 79, Marshall 66

1980—Manley 67, Collins 55

1979—Manley 88, Westinghouse 83, 2 OT

1978—Westinghouse 71, Manley 68

1977—Phillips 77, Westinghouse 65

1976—Morgan Park 75, Vocational 60

1975—Phillips 65, Morgan Park 60

1974—Morgan Park 84, Phillips 73

1973—Hirsch 55, Parker 53

1972—Crane 75, Marshall 63

1971—Harlan 44, Tilden 38

1970—Harlan 72, DuSable 63

1969—Hirsch 72, Bowen 66

1968—Crane 75, Marshall 65

1967—Harlan 60, DuSable 56

1966—Marshall 81, Dunbar 68

1965—Marshall 69, DuSable 55

1964—Crane 63, Dunbar 58

1963—Carver 57, Harlan 51

1962—Carver 47, Marshall 39

1961—Marshall 64, DuSable 61

1960—Marshall 79, Crane 38

1959—Marshall 61, Crane 58

1958—Marshall 68, Dunbar 59

1957—Crane 66, Marshall 61

1956—Dunbar 79, Hyde Park 68

1955—Marshall 67, Crane 57

1954—DuSable 82, Lake View 65

1953—DuSable 82, Wells 74

1952—Roosevelt 63, Tilden 62

1951—Parker 64, Von Steuben 58

1950—Tilden 45, Vocational 35

1949—Tilden 54, Marshall 49

1948—Marshall 57, Von Steuben 32

1947—South Shore 58, Lane 38

1946—Tilden 59, Amundsen 51

1945—Senn 32, Von Steuben 20

1944—South Shore 51, Harper 37

1943—Kelvyn Park 28, Lindblom 26, OT

1942—Lindblom 41, Kelly 25

1941—Manley 38, Marshall 34

1940—Crane 35, Hirsch 23

1939—Lane 30, Hirsch 25

1938—Von Steuben 27, Hyde Park 24

1937—Wells 23, Farragut 21

1936—Farragut 23, Kelvyn Park 21

1935—Tilden 33, Senn 24

1934—Lane 29, Tilden 16

1933—Lake View 25, Bowen 17

1932—Crane 25, Calumet 21

1931—Crane 30, Phillips 22

1930—Phillips 20, Morgan Park 19

1929—Crane 23, Lindblom 17

1928—Crane 20, Englewood 19

1927—Englewood 20, Lane 17

1926—Lane 31, Englewood 17

1925—Hyde Park 17, Lake View 11

1924—Lane 18, Phillips 4

1923—Tilden 30, Hyde Park 11

1922—Austin 27, Lane 9

1921—Crane 21, Hyde Park 8

1920—Lane 15, Hyde Park 15, tie

1919—Schurz 17, Englewood 12

1918—Englewood 21, McKinley 8

1917—Phillips 22, Lane 11

1916—Hyde Park 24, Marshall 20

1915—Lane 23, Calumet 7

1914—Parker 18, Lane 16

1913—Hyde Park 11, Englewood 9

1912—Hyde Park 19, Lyons 18

1911—Lane 34, Hyde Park 29

1910—Englewood 30, Calumet 18

1909—Lake View 40, Calumet 17

1908—Lake 25, Austin 21

1907—Lake View 24, Austin 21

1906—Oak Park 21, Austin 14

1905—Austin 62, Lake 22

1904—North Division 26, Austin 19

1903—North Division 41, Medill 14

1902—Medill 16, Lake 15

1901—Hyde Park 23, North Division 22, OT