Due to Tuesday's numerous weather related postponements, most of the Class 3A and 4A Sectional semi-finals were pushed back a day this week. The result was three straight days of frenzied and non-stop action throughout the State of Illinois.
The Class 3A finale in Peoria saw defending champ Central facing the upstart Limestone Rockets. Both teams cruised through their semi's with big wins over Galesburg and Mendota respectively. Friday night's title game was a doozy as Josh Augusta threw in 17 points for Central, but Terence Shelby led the Rockets to a thrilling 61-59 victory over the defending state champs.
In the Class 4A Sectional at Pekin, Rock Island went up against surging Edwardsville and found the Tigers overwhelming as they rolled to a 71-45 trouncing. This may help ease the sting of the top ranked Lady Tigers loss last week for Edwardsville fans. Down at Mascoutah in 3A, Cahokia put in a buzzer beater to send East St. Louis home by the score of 76-74.
Several Sectionals in Chicagoland were tantalizing, to say the least. At Argo, the finale had nationally ranked powers Simeon and Whitney Young in a game all have been waiting for with eager anticipation. Simeon had no trouble with DuSable in the semi-final and Young got by Curie and their rising star, big Cliff Alexander, 62-58. Jahlil Okafor from Young and Jabari Parker from Simeon are two of the top rated players nationally, but these starting lineups each contain five Division One caliber players. Simeon, however, behind Parker, rolled over Young, 69-51 and appears poised for their fourth straight title.
At Burbank, Morgan Park, also considered in the same league as Simeon and Young, rode the tails of Mr. Everything, Billy Garrett, Jr. and rolled on with a 67-31 win over Chicago Perspectives. The Bolingbrook Sectional saw two nail biters in the semi's and a title game between Lisle Benet and West Aurora that also went to the wire with West prevailing, 42-38. Rockford Boylan handled Rockford Jefferson at DeKalb and Chicago Orr ousted St. Joseph at Riverside.
Eight teams now remain in each class pending the pending the outcome of Tuesday's Supersectionals. Given the nail biting competition in the Sectionals this week, the Supers are eagerly being anticipated by prep hoops fans.
(all courtesy of www.cinewsnow.com; www.ihsa.org; www.highschoolcube.com)
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