State Basketball |York finishes fourth at state

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

CHAMPAIGN - York's Nathan Poku attempts to thrash his way to the rim between DePaul's Blake Choice and Pat Lovell during their class 4A third-place game late Friday evening at the IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals. Unable to sustain a strong run after the first quarter, the Dukes fell by ten, 56-46 to the Rams, taking fourth. Check back on Monday for a game recap and more photos.

Box Score

FINAL: DePaul 56 - York 46

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
DePaul	17	20	9	10	56
York	15	11	7	12	46

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TAGS: DePaul basketball team beats York in third-place game, Nathan Poku drives to the basket, York finish 4th at state basketball, DePaul Rams take third in 4A basketball

State Basketball |Unity wins state third-place game, 86-61

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

CHAMPAIGN - Unity's Brayden Henry strips the ball from Farragut's Delonte Cook as goes up for a first half shot during their Class 2A third-place game at the IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals. Cook finished the game with four points, eight rebounds and six steals on Lou Henson Court at the State Farm Center. Henry, who finished with 15 points, helped the Rockets win 86-61 to earn the best finish in program history. Game recap and more photos coming soon.

Box Score

FINAL: Unity 86 - Farragut 61

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Unity	9	25	24	28	86
Farragut	11	16	12	22	61

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State Basketball |QND knocks off Farragut Admirals

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

CHAMPAIGN - Farragut's Delonte Cook blocks a shot by Quincy Notre Dame's Gavin Doellman in their Class 2A state semifinal game. One of four blocks for the team, Cook and the Admirals fell victim to the Raiders' athleticism, losing 64-45. QND advanced to Saturday's Class 2A title game, while Farragut was back on Lou Henson Court playing for third against the Unity Rockets later Thursday evening.

Box Score

FINAL: Quincy Notre Dame 64 - Farragut 45

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Quincy Notre Dame	15	12	20	17	64
Farragut	10	15	9	11	45

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TAGS: Quincy Notre Dame glides into 2A championship basketball game, Jace Allensworth leads QND with 16 points, Farragut Admirals fall in first state appeareance, QND poised to take the state title

State Basketball |Lawrenceville drops opener to Goreville at state

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

CHAMPAIGN - Lawrenceville's Zander Cessna charges forward to the paint during his team's state semifinal game against Goreville at the IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals on Thursday. The Indians fell 55-47 to the Black Cats, moving into the third-place game later Thursday evening. Cessna finished the opening game with nine points and two rebounds. More from this game coming soon.

Box Score

FINAL: Goreville 55 - Lawrenceville 47

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Lawrenceville	7	12	5	23	47
Goreville	15	9	12	19	55

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TAGS: Lawrenceville Indians play at state, Goreville wins semifinal and advances to championship game, Zander Cessna gives all at state for Indians, Southern Illinois schools play for state title

Titans defeat Trinity, set up state finals matchup with Washington

Glenwood defeated Trinity 46-35 Friday in the IHSA Class 3A girls basketball semifinal at CEFCU Arena. Alexis Neumann led the Titans with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Ava Bobb makes a pass after diving for a loose ball in Glenwood's semifinal game against Trinity. Bobb, who finished the game with two points, a rebound, and three assists, contributed to the Titans' defensive pressure that held the Blazers to just 11 points in the first half.

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NORMAL - A fast start and steady interior play carried the Glenwood Titans into the IHSA Class 3A state championship game Friday afternoon.

Glenwood built a commanding early lead and never looked back, defeating the Trinity Blazers 46-35 in the Class 3A semifinal at CEFCU Arena on the campus of Illinois State University. The Titans will face the Washington Panthers in Saturday’s championship game.

The Titans seized control early, outscoring Trinity 28-11 in the first half and setting the tone for the remainder of the contest. Junior Alexis Neumann led all scorers with 20 points and added 11 rebounds in a dominant performance. Neumann was flawless in the opening half, hitting all seven of her field-goal attempts, and finished the afternoon 10-for-13 from the floor. She also contributed five steals to help fuel Glenwood’s defensive effort.

Jemma Lamb added 16 points for the Titans, knocking down the team’s lone 3-pointer and converting 7 of 9 attempts from the free-throw line. Five additional Glenwood players chipped in points, while Stella Lopp provided work on the glass with six rebounds.

Glenwood led from the start after Neumann scored the game’s first basket just 25 seconds into the contest. The Titans’ advantage continued to grow throughout the game, reaching its peak at 23 points in the fourth quarter following a Neumann layup midway through the period.

Trinity struggled to find its offensive rhythm early, shooting just 22% from the field in the first half. Keyera Gamble paced the Blazers with 10 points and nine rebounds while also recording three blocks. Zaria Goins added eight points and two steals, and Destiny Sacluti finished with six points.

The Blazers, now 25-10, move into the third-place game where they will face St. Viator Lions, which fell to Washington 55-34 in the other semifinal.

Two years ago, Glenwood finished second after falling 60-44 to the Lincoln Railsplitters. With Friday's victory, Glenwood advances to Saturday’s Class 3A championship game today with a chance to complete its state tournament run with the program's first state title.

Photo Gallery

FINAL: Glenwood 46 - Trinity 35

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TAG: Glenwood Trinity Class 3A semifinal recap, IHSA Class 3A girls basketball state tournament Glenwood win, Alexis Neumann Glenwood state semifinal performance, Glenwood Titans girls basketball state finals matchup Washington, CEFCU Arena Class 3A state semifinal game recap

Resilience in the paint: Dee-Mack’s decisive victory the epitome of March basketball

In a performance defined by sheer willpower, Dalia DeJesus made her presence was felt on both ends of the floor in Dee-Mack's opening statement in their Class 1A state semifinal game.

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Photos by Alan Look Photography
See more photos from this game.

Deer Creek-Mackinaw senior Dalia Dejesus dribbles past Rockford Christians' Shea Ludwig during their state semifinal game on Thursday at CEFCU Arena. Dejesus led the Chiefs with 31-points in the rout.

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by Alan Look
Best Look Magazine

NORMAL - The beauty of March basketball isn’t always found in the fluidity of a fast break or the perfection of a swish. Sometimes, it’s found in the grit of a defensive stance and the steady hand of a player who refuses to blink under the bright lights of CEFCU Arena. On Thursday afternoon, the Deer Creek-Mackinaw girls' basketball team embodied that resilience, securing a 48-35 victory over the Rockford Christian to claim a Class 1A semifinal win.

While the Royal Lions jumped to an early five-point lead in the opening minutes, the narrative of the game quickly shifted toward the Chiefs’ interior dominance. The story of the afternoon belonged to Dalia DeJesus. In a performance defined by sheer willpower, DeJesus recorded a double-double, scoring 31 of Dee-Mack’s 48 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Her presence was felt on both ends of the floor as she added four blocks and four steals, effectively anchoring the Chiefs’ defensive effort.

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Photos by Alan Look Photography
See more photos from this game.

Shea Ludwig takes a shot for Rockford Christian. The senior forward scored a team-high 11 points in the semifinal contest. Later, the Royal Lions faced Brown County in the third-place game, falling 59-47 to finish fourth in Class 1A.

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Rockford Christian struggled to find a consistent rhythm against that pressure, shooting just 27.3% from the field for the game. Shea Ludwig provided a spark for the Royal Lions with 11 points, while Lucy Gargani added nine, but the team’s outside shooting went cold, finishing 2 of 14 from beyond the arc.

Dee-Mack’s separation occurred in the third quarter, a period when it found its offensive stride by shooting 56%. By the 4:06 mark of the third, the Chiefs had extended their lead to 16 points, a margin that proved too high for Rockford Christian to overcome. Despite a late push by the Royal Lions, Dee-Mack’s composure at the free-throw line, led by DeJesus’ 12-of-15 performance, sealed the result.

It was a game where the intangibles outweighed the aesthetics. Dee-Mack controlled the boards 29-24 and capitalized on second-chance opportunities to keep the Royal Lions at bay. For the Chiefs, this wasn’t just a win; it was a statement of poise. They led for more than 26 minutes of the contest, proving that when the stakes are highest, they have the defensive edge to match their offensive focal point.

Alan Look is a Central Illinois photographer with more than two and a half decades of experience documenting sports, agriculture, automotive subjects, editorial assignments, and commercial projects across the Midwest. His work blends high‑impact action photography with long‑form documentary coverage, creating a visual record of regional sports history, rural life, and the people and industries that define Central Illinois.

To view the complete visual story from the DeeMak-Rockford Christian game, visit the game gallery from Alan Look Photography.

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Sweet revenge; Nashville crushes Peoria Notre Dame to win girls' 2A basketball title

NORMAL - Last March, in a heartbreaking buzzer-beater, Emy Wardle of Peoria Notre Dame scored a layup with one second left to clinch the Class 2A title, 48-46.

The sting of defeat lingered throughout the season until Saturday night at CEFCU Arena, where The Hornettes exacted revenge in a state title rematch against Peoria Notre Dame. This time, Nashville left no doubt about the superior team, handing the Irish a decisive 55-29 loss.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Nashville's Avery Reeder, is all smiles while carrying the team's newest piece of state hardware. Saturday's trophy is the second one for Hornette program, who won their first state title in 2013.

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Only two other teams held PND to fewer than 30 points all season: Alton, who secured a 41-27 victory in the state Class 4A third-place game on Friday, and Missouri's Incarnate Word Academy, who limited the Irish to their lowest output of the season at 26 points, scoring 69 themselves.

After a competitive first quarter, PND struggled over the next three, managing just 18 points total. Nashville surged with an impressive 18-point fourth quarter, sealing the championship and heading home with the hardware south of Interstate 70.

The victory was especially poignant for Nashville's lone senior, Avery Reeder.

"It means so much to me. It's everything I've ever wanted," Reeder said. "Honestly, I always wanted to end my last game with a win. On Thursday, I said I wanted to dominate them, and that's exactly what we did."

Emma Behrmann led Nashville's offense with 14 points, supported by the Brinkman twins, Summer and Samantha, who contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively. Summer also shone defensively with seven rebounds and five steals, while Samantha grabbed six boards and three steals.

Julia Mingus led Notre Dame with 11 points, while Lexi Baer and Cora Heinz added six points each.

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Alton Redbrids enjoy tons of fans support at state basketball championship

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Antwan Baskin Jr. (right) and Colleen Robinson (left) cheer for the high school basketball team during the IHSA Class 4A semifinal at CEFCU Arena on Friday. The two Redbirds fans, along with hundreds of fellow Alton High School students, showed their support, hoping their team would advance to Saturday's championship game after a showdown with Kenwood (33-3). Alton, which came up short in its first state final four appearance after a 61-55 loss, will face Loyola Academy in the third-place game Saturday morning.

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State Basketball |Montini hangs on to beat QND in 3A semifinal at girls' state basketball tournament

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Montini's Nikki Kerstein keeps the ball away from Notre Dame's Sierra Thomas. Kerstein was the leading scorer in the contest and collected eight boards in the state semifinal Thurday.

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BLOOMINGTON - Montini's pursuit of a fifth IHSA state championship remains alive after a hard-fought 50-41 victory over Quincy Notre Dame in a Class 3A state semifinal Thursday night at CEFCU Arena.

In a matchup featuring seven lead changes, the Lady Broncos found their rhythm late, outlasting a Quincy Notre Dame program that has captured six state titles since 1981. Despite holding the lead for nearly three minutes less than their opponent, Montini delivered in key moments to secure a spot in Saturday's Class 3A title game against St. Ignatius at 6 p.m.

Nikki Kerstein powered Montini's offense with a game-high 27 points, shooting 9-for-16 from the field. The 5-foot-8 senior took over in the second half, scoring 16 of her points after the break while also grabbing eight rebounds. Peyton Farrell added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, providing a crucial inside presence for the Lady Broncos.

Quincy Notre Dame kept pace for much of the game behind Tristan Pieper's 14 points and nine rebounds. Jenna Durst chipped in 13 points, while Sage Stratton and Ari Buehler each scored seven to round out the Lady Raiders' offensive effort.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Members of the Montini girls basketball team celebrate after punching their ticket to the Class 3A title game on Saturday at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals.

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The loss ends Quincy Notre Dame's bid for a seventh state title, forcing the program to wait another year for a chance to add to its championship legacy. Meanwhile, Montini moves one step closer to its first state crown since 2014.

Trailing for extended stretches and utilizing the talents of only five players, Montini found ways to deliver in decisive moments. Kerstein's second-half surge and Farrell's work on the glass proved pivotal as the Lady Broncos maintained composure and capitalized on scoring opportunities when it mattered most despite the starting five playing the full 32-minute game.

With the win, Montini can focus on surpassing another Catholic school powerhouse, St. Ignatius, for the Class 3A championship title and bragging rights for the next year. Quincy Notre Dame will close its season in the third-place game Friday evening at 7:45 p.m. against the Washington's Lady Panthers.

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State Basketball |Carrollton Lady Hawks secure spot in Class 1A title game with convincing semifinal victory at state

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Carrollton basketball players on the bench errupt with fans at the sound of the final buzzer in their state semifinal game against Cissna Park at CEFCU Arena in Normal. The Lady Hawks advanced to the Class 1A title game after a resounding victory Thursday morning.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Lauren Flowers goes up for shot over Cissna Park's Mady Marcott. Flowers led all scorers with 28 points and eight rebounds.

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NORMAL, IL - In a display of dominance at the CEFCU Arena on the Illinois State University campus, the Carrollton Lady Hawks soared to a commanding 55-39 victory over the Cissna Park Lady Timberwolves in their Class 1A state semifinals at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals on Thursday morning.

Led by a scorching performance from Lauren Flowers, who tallied 28 points and showcased her shooting accuracy with 10-of-12 from the free-throw line, Carrollton wasted no time asserting their authority. Flowers ignited the offense with a pivotal three-pointer following two early free throws, setting the tone for the Lady Hawks' victory.

By halftime, Carrollton had firmly established their lead, thanks to strategic play under the guidance of head coach Brian Madson. "I told them in the locker room at halftime to keep their composure and move the ball around," Madson emphasized. He was proud of the way the team played in the first half saying, "Confidence is contagious, and so is the lack of it."

The Lady Hawks' confidence continued to soar after the game mid-game break.

The second half saw Carrollton extend their lead to 23 points by the third quarter, effectively securing their fifth appearance in the state title game in school history. Blake Driskill contributed 11 points, while Harper Darr added 10 and Abby Flowers chipped in with six points, underscoring a cohesive team effort that highlighted their depth and resilience.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Carrollton's Harper Darr battles for a loose ball with Cissna Park's Lauryn Hamrick.

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Defensively, Lauren Flowers asserted her presence in the paint with eight rebounds, complemented by Chloe McAdams' six rebounds, stifling Cissna Park's scoring opportunities throughout the game.

Despite a valiant effort from Cissna Park, led by Addison Lucht and Lauryn Hamrick with 12 points each, and Josie Neukomm contributing nine points, the Lady Timberwolves fell short of advancing to the title game in their first state appearance in 25 years. Hamrick and Neukomm both secured eight rebounds apiece.

Looking ahead, Carrollton will face the winner of St. Edward High School and Pecatonica in the Class 1A title game on Saturday at 1pm. Meanwhile, Cissna Park will compete for third place against the loser of the upcoming matchup.

"I'm super excited to be playing on Saturday," said Madson during the postgame press conference."This team just sticks together, fights for each other. It is going to fun this coming Saturday."

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