Elgin 79, Rockton Hononegah 77
Class 4A at Jacobs
Records: Elgin 20-9; Rockton Hononegah 28-3.
Halftime: Elgin 43-41.
Summary: Elgin F Kenny Williams won the game with a 10-foot buzzer-beater. The game featured 15 lead changes and 25 three-pointers (Elgin had 16).
Top performers: Elgin — G Jeremy Granger, 23 points, 6 rebounds; G Armani Williams, 19 points, 6 rebounds. Rockton Hononegah — F David Brown, 40 points (11 of 12 free throws, 14 of 20 field goals).
The bonus: “It felt good,” Williams said of game-winning shot. “They wanted me to have the ball. I knew the clock was winding down. It was going into overtime or it was going to drop. It went up and it dropped.”
Schaumburg 58, Highland Park 48
Class 4A at Barrington
Records: Schaumburg 19-9; Highland Park 23-6.
Halftime: 23-23.
Summary: After trailing most of the first half, Schaumburg outscored Highland Park 18-6 in the decisive third quarter. Saxons G Cully Payne was held to four points through three quarters before scoring 10 in the fourth.
Top performers: Schaumburg — F Blake Mueller, 22 points, 10 rebounds; Payne, 14 points, 6 rebounds. Highland Park — Tellef Lundevall, 20 points, 9 rebounds.
The bonus: “The ball pressure was big,” Mueller said. “They can shoot the ball and … are a great offensive team.”
Hersey 64, Maine East 60
Class 4A at Evanston
Records: Hersey 17-12; Maine East 18-11.
Halftime: Hersey 29-21.
Summary: Maine East took a 35-32 lead with 4:23 left in the third quarter. G Dwight Davis scored eight points in the period. Hersey answered to lead 42-38 entering the fourth quarter. The teams traded baskets in the final period. G Kyle Mengarelli scored 10 points, including eight free throws, in the fourth to help Hersey advance to Friday’s title game against Evanston.
Top performers: Hersey — Mengarelli, 17 points; G Griffin Dwyer, 13 points. Maine East — F Danhi Wilson, 16 points; Davis, 14 points.
The bonus: “They were sagging on (Luke) Fabrizius, so the rest of us attacked the basket,” Mengarelli said. “I was nervous at first, but in the fourth quarter I started hitting my free throws and they kept going in. It’s fun to keep on playing. I’m glad we ignored their runs.”
Leo 58, Kenwood 56
Class 3A at Englewood
Records: Leo 20-8; Kenwood 17-13.
Halftime: Leo 24-18.
Summary: A 17-4 run gave Kenwood a 50-44 lead with 3:13 left in the fourth quarter. Leo stormed back with an 11-0 surge for a five-point lead with 37 seconds left. Back-to-back three-pointers by F Darren Johnson and G Isaac Smith started Leo’s decisive move. Smith hit 3 of 4 free throws in final 20 seconds to seal win.
Top performers: Leo — Johnson, 20 points, 7 rebounds; Smith, 18 points, 2 steals. Kenwood — C Darren Moore, 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals.
The bonus: “We just had to come back and play as a team, play together,” Smith said. “That’s how we always come through.”
T.F. North 59, Crete-Monee 46
Class 3A at Rich South
Records: T.F. North17-10; Crete-Monee 12-16.
Halftime : Crete-Monee 25-22.
Summary: T.F. North fell behind 10-5 after the first quarter and 21-11 midway through the second. But a 12-0 third-quarter run helped the Meteors take control with a 44-35 advantage. After shooting 1 of 7 in the first quarter, T.F. North made 18 of 28 FG attempts (64.3 percent) the rest of the game. The Meteors converted all 11 free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter.
Top performers: T.F. North — F Marcus Deloney, 16 points, 7 rebounds; G Jeremy Leonard, 14 points; F Anthony Garth, 11 points; Crete-Monee — F Eddie Simmons, 22 points, 3 steals.
The bonus: “In the first half we were playing too fast,” Deloney said. “We were rushing our shots and gambling too much on defense. But once we settled down, we really started to control the game.”
St. Francis 53, Crane 46
Class 3A at
Riverside-Brookfield
Records: St. Francis 19-9; Crane 14-9.
Halftime: St. Francis 25-19.
Summary: With St. Francis clinging to a 43-40 lead with 1:36 left, G Dan McCoy’s fifth three-pointer of the night broke Crane’s back. St. Francis collected its second straight upset win. The Spartans took the lead for good on back-to-back three-pointers from G Jack Purdom and McCoy early in the second quarter. St. Francis hit four three-pointers in the second quarter and seven for the game. Crane G/F Dion Dixon missed the game with a sprained ankle.
Top performers: St Francis — McCoy, 18 points; F Brian McMahon, 10 points. Crane — G Aaron Weaver, 20 points (16 in second half).
The bonus: “I was just thinking, ‘I’ve got to make it,'” McCoy said of his crucial three-pointer.
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Compiled by Dave Surico, Jason Kerr and Joseph Phillips. Bob Davis, Mike Gibbs, Seth Gruen, Bob Skolnik, Bob Hurst and Ed Schaffer contributed.
