Top sectional final moments
The sectional final round of the state tournament has all the ingredients to be special: high school gyms, rival teams and high stakes. This season’s crop of games had a bit of everything, with buzzer- beaters, big performances from star players and huge lead swings. The only thing missing was a big- time upset. Here’s a rundown of some of the top games:
Fremd 43, Conant 42
Kyle Sliwa pulled off an encore. The Vikings’ All- Area senior ran right over to the same spot where he hit the gamewinner against Conant earlier in the season and did it again. This time, he was off balance, and it was more of a heave. Fremd beat Conant three times this season ( the Cougars only have five losses). The Vikings will face Jacobs on Tuesday at the Sears Centre Supersectional.
Jacobs 62, Larkin 39
The Golden Eagles put an end to Larkin’s impressive run through the playoffs. Jacobs senior Cameron Krutwig finished second in our Player of the Year race. He put on a show, checking out in the middle of the fourth quarter with 20 points, 19 rebounds, 15 blocks and eight assists. Krutwig could have an instant impact next season at Loyola.
Evanston 81, Waukegan 68
Purdue recruit Nojel Eastern stepped up and dominated with 29 points and 17 rebounds. Winning at the Dog Pound against a talented Waukegan squad is one of the most difficult feats in March. The Wildkits will face Young on Tuesday at Chicago State.
CLASS 4A SUPERSECTIONALS Tuesday Naperville North 77, Wheaton North 72
The Huskies had a rocky start to the season, but that is long forgotten. They vanquished Wheaton- Warrenville South and Wheaton North in sectional play, as big man Mitch Lewis had 21 points. He’ll have his hands full with Bolingbrook on Tuesday. Naperville North is a sizable underdog in the NIU Supersectional.
Edwardsville 81, Danville 59
Time for area fans to start paying attention to Edwardsville. Star senior Mark Smith has been the talk of the state this season. He showed why on Friday with 45 points and 13 rebounds. Most downstate observers expect Smith and Edwardsville to give Simeon a major challenge on Tuesday at ISU.
Bolingbrook 78, JolietWest 66
The Tigers led by 12 in the second half and were playing fabulous basketball. Then everything changed. The Raiders went on a monumental 20- 2 run to take control of the game. And they did it with stars Nana Akenten and Malik Binns on the bench in foul trouble. Bolingbrook is clearly the deepest team in the state.