Miles Rubin remembers all too well the feeling of Simeon losing twice last season in the Class 3A state finals.
The senior forward and Loyola recruit wasn’t going to go out like that again.
“It motivated us a lot,” Rubin said of last year’s defeats. “We wanted to win everything. We didn’t get a chance to do that last year, so we want to do it this year with the team we have.”
The Wolverines are one win away after Rubin scored 20 points and set a Class 3A state record with eight blocked shots Friday to lead Simeon to a 60-42 win over St. Ignatius in a semifinal at the State Farm Center.
Simeon (32-3), which avenged a 61-59 loss to St. Ignatius in last season’s third-place game, will take on Metamora (33-2) at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the Class 3A championship game. Metamora beat the Wolverines 50-47 in last season’s semifinals.
It will be the final game for legendary coach Robert Smith, who is retiring after this season. Smith, who took over as Wolverines coach in 2004 and has won over 500 games, will be looking for his seventh state title.
In the semifinal win, Jacksonville recruit Jalen Griffith added 12 points and also broke a 3A state finals record with 12 assists. Kaiden Space chipped in with nine points off the bench.
“I was just really paying attention to how the game flows and what the team needs,” Griffith said. “(Friday), they needed a point guard. I just wanted to go out there and be a facilitator and put my teammates in a position to score.”
Phoenix Gill, the son of former Bulls star and Rich Central product Kendall Gill, scored 21 points to lead St. Ignatius (24-12).
The Wolfpack trailed just 40-37 with a little over a minute left in the third quarter, but Simeon went on a 14-0 run that spanned through the midway point of the fourth to take control.
Rubin turned it into his own personal show down the stretch, throwing down three dunks.
“In the locker room, we were just talking about getting our energy up and working harder on playing defense and rebounding,” Rubin said of halftime. “I guess that flipped a switch for us and we got it going.”
Rubin was especially huge on the defensive end, helping hold St. Ignatius scoreless for over six minutes during the 14-0 surge.
Smith, who also credited Michael Ratliff for leading the defense, said the shot blocking from Miles Rubin and his twin brother, Wes, allows Simeon to take chances elsewhere. Wes Rubin contributed eight rebounds and five assists.
“That’s part of our defense,” Smith said. “That’s why we’re able to pressure up on teams, because we know have Miles to protect the rim. Wes is starting to block shots, too, so their size and their knack for rebounding and blocking shots is great.”
Gill kept the Wolfpack in it. The sophomore guard heated up for 10 points in the second quarter. He said it was fun to play in Champaign, where his father starred for the Illini.
“It was special knowing my dad played here and all that,” Gill said. “But honestly, I’m pretty mad. I thought I could have done more to help the team win.
“The game kind of got away from us at the end. But it was still a special moment, for sure.”
Smith, who holds the record for most Illinois state championships as a boys basketball coach, will get a chance for one more.
He joked that he did not have to remind his players how he did not want his last game to be for third place.
“I’m pretty sure they already knew that,” Smith said.
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
