| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unity | 15 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 57 |
| Manual | 14 | 12 | 14 | 22 | 62 |
PONTIAC- If you haven't heard the news, Unity is heading back to the state tournament for the first time in more than two decades after surviving a high-scoring supersectional battle Monday night.
The Rockets defeated Bishop McNamara 77-70 to win the Pontiac Supersectional and secure a berth in the IHSA Class 2A boys basketball semifinals at State Farm Center. Unity, now 33-2 on the season, will face Peoria Manual at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
Unity trailed early in the contest and worked its way back into the game after falling behind 16-10 at the end of the first quarter. The Rockets trimmed the deficit and went into halftime down just one point at 31-30.
The momentum shifted after the break. Unity surged ahead in the third quarter, building a 55-47 lead with a balanced scoring effort from several seniors who were also part of the program’s Class 3A football state title appearance in November. Dane Eisenmenger and Colton Langendorf combined for 12 points during the stretch, while Mason O’Neill added five and Tre Hoggard chipped in four as the Rockets gained control.
Bishop McNamara tried to close the gap in the fourth quarter, outscoring Unity 23-22, but the Rockets’ nine-point advantage created in the third period proved enough to hold off the late push.
Hoggard led all scorers with 22 points in one of his strongest performances of the season. The senior converted 6 of 8 free throws and went 5-for-6 at the line in the fourth quarter alone while scoring nine points in the final period. Hoggard entered the postseason averaging eight points per game but has elevated his production during the playoff run.
Tyler Henry added 16 points for the Rockets, including seven in the fourth quarter, while Eisenmenger finished with 14 to give Unity three players in double figures.
Bishop McNamara also placed three players in double-digit scoring. Coen Demark led the Fightin’ Irish with 20 points, while Karter Krutsinger added 18 and Richie Darr contributed 14.
The victory sends Unity to the state finals for the first time since 2002, when the Rockets finished fourth after losses to Herrin and Bureau Valley.
Standing in Unity’s way Thursday is Peoria Manual, a program with a deep history in Illinois high school basketball. The Rams, who enter the semifinal at 23-9, finished fourth in last year’s state tournament after falling to Dyett 54-50 in the semifinal and losing to Christ of the King 55-44 in the third-place game.
Manual owns five state championships and has collected 12 additional state trophies since its first appearance at the state tournament in 1913. Competing against larger enrollment schools during the regular season, the Rams are members of the Big Twelve Conference and with student enrollment of just over 650 students.
Manual enters Thursday’s semifinal on a nine-game winning streak. The Rams’ closest postseason game came in a 46-43 regional semifinal win over Tri-Valley. Each of their other eight victories during the streak has come by at least 16 points.
Unity will have a short trip to the state stage, traveling roughly eight miles from campus to State Farm Center in Champaign.
In the other Class 2A semifinal, Quincy Notre Dame will face Farragut. The losers of the two semifinal games will meet Friday at 8:45 p.m. for the third-place trophy, while the winners will advance to Saturday’s state championship game scheduled for noon.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks CHAMPAIGN - Members of the Unity Rockets basketball team hoist their third-place trophy after defeating Far...
