Simeon and Farragut navigated quite divergent paths to Saturday’s title game of the Chicago Public Schools Holiday Invitational.
The two-time defending state champion Wolverines advanced first with a surprisingly easy 64-45 victory over Marshall, while Farragut needed virtually every second to edge Young 52-49 in Friday’s second semifinal at Chicago State.
The top-ranked Admirals had to rally and won on a runner in the lane by Darius Stowers with four seconds left that gained them a 50-49 lead. Troynell Adams added a dunk at the buzzer, moments after Young sophomore Anthony Johnson’s 40-footer was waved off when he was ruled to have stepped on the sideline.
“I knew the lane would open up because they were worried about our shooters,” Stowers said of his game-winner. “I got to the hole, and that made it easy for the floater.”
The Admirals (8-0) trailed almost the entire game. A basket by Marvin Thigpen (13 points) to open the fourth quarter broke a 38-38 deadlock, and after three subsequent lead changes, No. 2 Young (11-2) retook the lead for three minutes. A free throw by Michael Dunigan (13 points, 12 rebounds) tied it 47-47.
Two Stanford Brown free throws with 1:15 remaining got the Dolphins ahead 49-47, and Stowers split two from the line with :48 left to bring Farragut within 49-48. Dunigan’s fifth block of the night — this one on a Brown shot — got the Admirals the ball back, setting the stage for Stowers’ heroics.
“That’s what we’re used to,” said the 6-10 Dunigan of the double and triple teams he faced. “When they do that, it’s time for my teammates to step up.”
Farragut could have sealed the game earlier if not for a foul free-throw shooting display. Farragut was only 14-for-33 from the line for the game and 5-for-15 in the first half.
Simeon’s triumph over Marshall wasn’t nearly as suspenseful. The No. 6 Wolverines (10-2) broke open a tight early game with a 23-8 second-quarter run, leaving the Wolverines with a 32-19 halftime advantage that No. 4 Marshall (10-2) didn’t threaten in the second half. The burst was spearheaded by the backcourt tandem of Lazeric (12 points) and Jeremy Jones (13), who furnished instant offense off the bench, combining for 16 points in the quarter.
Simeon’s lead got as large as 23 on two occasions late in the third quarter, and Marshall’s best two players, senior Ryan Hare and junior Darius Smith, didn’t play after intermission. Simeon was led by Stan Simpson’s 14 and also got nine from Josh Anderson. Davaris Davis led Marshall with seven.
