T.F. South’s Gigi Dillon lives by the words of wisdom that her coaches taught her. The senior forward pays heed to the advice of “being comfortable with being uncomfortable.” And the Red Wolves were certainly uncomfortable in the first half Thursday night. “We got punched in the mouth,” Di llon said. “And we responded.” That response came during a seven-point run that tied the game early in the third quarter. Dillon delivered with two quick baskets and a steal as the host Red Wolves went on to a 55-51 win in overtime over Hillcrest in a battle of South Suburban Conference Blue unbeatens in Lansing. “We knew we had to get even quickly and push it forward,” Dillon said. T.F. South’s Gigi Dillon (1) reacts after drawing a foul against Hillcrest during a South Suburban Blue game in Lansing on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Daily Southtown / John Smierciak) The 5-foot-11 Dillon led T.F. South (23-2, 9-0) with 22 points, nine rebounds and seven steals, while Brie Hawthorne contributed 10 points, six rebounds and six steals. Asia Haynes, who had nine points and five rebounds, converted two free throws with less than a second left in the fourth quarter to send the game into OT. Sharmaine Averhart added nine points, five rebounds and three blocked shots. Afterward, the home fans stormed the court to celebrate the thrilling win, the Red Wolves’ 10th in a row. It came on a night where Dillon showed a variety of skills, which is nothing new to those who have been watching her four-year career. “She brings us a lot,” Haynes said of Dillon. “She brings energy and aggressiveness.” T.F. South’s Gigi Dillon (1) looks to move the ball under duress against Hillcrest during a South Suburban Blue game in Lansing on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Daily Southtown / John Smierciak) Angel Taylor did the same for Hillcrest (21-6, 7-1), having a monster game with 18 points, 17 rebounds and four blocked shots. Treazure Coleman scored 10 points and Davia Cobb added nine, including a basket with five seconds left in regulation to give the Hawks a late lead. Hillcrest had a seven-game winning streak snapped. T.F. coach Eric Bryce, meanwhile, was pleased with Dillon’s performance. “She’s everything,” Bryce said of Dillon. “Her experience and her calmness — she doesn’t get flustered by stuff — is big. She jammed her finger at the end and said, ‘Don’t take me out.’ T.F. South’s Gigi Dillon (1) pulls down a rebound from a crowd of players against Hillcrest during a South Suburban Blue game in Lansing on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Daily Southtown / John Smierciak) “That’s just the kind of stuff that you need. In this game, she brought the calmness and the steadiness we needed.” While Dillon takes comfort in being uncomfortable, that wasn’t always the case. T.F. North assistant boys coach Jason Warren, Dillon’s cousin, introduced her to the sport when she was 11. It didn’t start well. “I didn’t like it right away,” Dillon said. “A lot of people on the team I was on were better than me. I felt discouraged but they way my teammates pushed me … I’m still friends with them to this day. “I started to get comfortable with basketball my freshman year.” Dillon is pretty comfortable with this season’s team, which has its eyes on breaking the program record of 27 wins from her freshman year. “With the chemistry that we have, if you are not having a good night, your teammates are having a good night,” she said. “It doesn’t matter. Anyone can get a bucket on this team.” T.F. South’s Gigi Dillon (1) pulls up to take a shot against Hillcrest during a South Suburban Blue game in Lansing on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Daily Southtown / John Smierciak) Dillon confirmed that she’s still mulling over junior college and small college offers. She hopes to make a decision soon. At the same time, she keeps building up her high school resume. She’s the program’s all-time leader with 107 games played and 83 wins, according to Bryce. She’s also approaching the 1,000 milestone in two categories with 982 points and 943 rebounds. Dillon pointed out that rebounding, to her, is more fun than scoring. “You can score and it does feel good,” she said. “But there is something about getting a rebound to seal a game, and there is something about fighting and getting the rebound. “It’s like, ‘I got it over you.’” Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. ...read more read less