In boys’ basketball
Centralia Holiday Tournament
➜ Centralia 56, Champaign Central 32. Champaign Central kept it close against the host Orphans early, going into the second quarter tied at 11, before Centralia pulled away in the second half to earn the quarterfinal win. The Maroons (7-5) didn’t have much time to linger on the loss, with a fifth-place semifinal game against Cardinal Ritter (Mo.) at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic
➜ Lincoln-Way East 65, Unity 50. Unity held an 18-15 lead at the end of the first quarter in a quarterfinal game at Effingham, but the Griffins picked it up in the second quarter to take a 36-25 lead into halftime and kept up the pressure in the second half. Mason O’Neill scored a team-high nine points for the Rockets (4-4), with Tyler Henry, Carter Schmid and Dane Eisenmenger all finishing with eight points apiece.
➜ Teutopolis 52, Centennial 49. Centennial took an 18-9 lead into the second quarter, but the host Wooden Shoes slowly worked their way back into the game before earning a quarterfinal win. Sherrod Clark scored a team-high 14 points for the Chargers (4-7), while JJ Lewandowski and Tyrek Patterson each managed 12 points.
➜ Unity 81, Brooks 71. Unity responded from its earlier loss on Friday to Lincoln-Way East with a win in its second game to advance to Saturday’s fifth-place game. Coleton Langendorf scored a game-high 24 points for the Rockets (5-4), who went into the fourth quarter tied at 54 after both teams went into halftime with the score tied at 33. Tre Hoggard added 22 points and Brayden Henry wound up with 10 points for Unity.
➜ Centennial 60, Mattoon 54. Centennial took an early lead against Mattoon and kept the Green Wave at bay in a fifth-place semifinal game win. Kayden Peat scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Isaiah Allen produced 16 points for the Chargers (5-7), who will take on Unity at 3 p.m. Saturday in the fifth-place game in Effingham.
Pontiac Holiday Tournament
➜ Danville 74, West Aurora 63. The Vikings won a consolation quarterfinal game thanks to a game-high 33 points from Diddy Robinson, who went 4 of 5 from three-point range and made all seven of his free throws. He also added 10 rebounds and three assists as Danville (4-8) kept its tournament intact until late Friday night with a consolation semifinal game against Plainfield North. C.L. Dye (15 points) and Corey Frye (10 points) also helped Danville get out to a 20-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.
State Farm Holiday Classic Large Schools
➜ Mahomet-Seymour 48, Joliet Central 36. Less than 24 hours after losing 93-89 to Sacred Heart-Griffin in double overtime in a first-round loss late Thursday night, Mahomet-Seymour responded well Friday afternoon with a consolation quarterfinal win at Normal West High School. Jackson Bohm scored a team-high 10 points for the Bulldogs (5-5), who led 23-12 at halftime. Jackson Golden (eight points) and Landyn Hannah (seven points) also contributed to help M-S move into a consolation semifinal game at 1 p.m. Saturday against Dunlap at Normal West.
Kankakee Holiday Tournament
➜ Lindblom 63, Rantoul 49. Rantoul went into halftime down 32-18 and trailed the rest of the way in a semifinal loss. DJ Davis scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Eagles (5-7), while Jonathon Couture and Tysean Moody each added eight points.
Monticello Holiday Hoopla
➜ Clinton 55, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 41. Keaton Graves continued his strong holiday tournament play, lifting the Maroons to a win in their opener on Friday. Graves scored a game-high 28 points to go along with four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Teammate Dalton Bell also pitched in with 10 points for Clinton (7-4), while Anthony Westbrooks (six points, eight rebounds) and Colton Walker (six points, four steals) chipped in, too. Tyler Cole accounted for almost half of the offensive output by PBL (5-6) with 20 points.
➜ Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 60, Neoga 28. The Falcons started strong and took a 38-11 lead into halftime of their first game on Friday. Brayden Elliott scored a game-high 15 points after making 5 of 8 from three-point range, while Matt Allen added 11 points for GCMS (8-3). Austin Kasper (nine points) and Graydon Leonard (seven points, eight rebounds) also chipped in.
➜ Oakwood 52, Ridgeview 41. Oakwood trailed 22-9 at the end of the first quarter, but mounted a furious comeback to notch its first Hoopla win. Ben Darling scored a team-high 20 points for the Comets (8-7) and Jackson Dudley nearly matched him with 18 points. Carsen Dudley’s 10 points gave Oakwood three players in double figures. Tanner Maupin scored a game-high 22 points to spark Ridgeview (5-5).
➜ Tuscola 54, Monticello 38. Tuscola qualified for Saturday night’s championship game with its latest triumph that also kept the Warriors undefeated. Sawyer Woodard scored a game-high 25 points on 10 of 15 shooting to pace Tuscola (13-0), with Parker James scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds as the Warriors took a 28-14 lead into halftime. Nolan Buehnerkemper led Monticello (4-6) with 10 points and Ike Young added nine points.
➜ Paxton-Buckley-Loda 57, Neoga 30. Paxton-Buckley-Loda showed off its defensive prowess, holding Neoga to only two first-quarter points in building a double-digit lead the Panthers (6-6) wouldn’t relinquish. Tyler Cole and Ethan Williams each scored 18 points, while Robert Boyd-Meents finished with nine points in the win by PBL.
➜ Clinton 53, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 48. Clinton advanced to Saturday’s championship game as Colton Walker scored a team-high 16 points for the Maroons (8-4). Keaton Graves (14 points) and Dalton Bell (11 points, four steals) also played a key role in the win. Graydon Leonard nearly had a double-double of 16 points and nine rebounds for GCMS (8-4).
Heritage/BHRA Holiday Tournament
At Broadlands
➜ Armstrong-Potomac 67, Mt. Pulaski 64. Armstrong-Potomac trailed by double digits in the first half, but rallied for a victory in its first game on Friday to extend its winning streak to five games. James Huisinga paced the Trojans (10-2) with a team-high 20 points, with 14 coming in the second half. A-P had three other players finish in double figures to spark the comeback, with Luke Townsend (16 points), Ryan Edwards (14 points) and Bowen Hesterberg (12 points) all filling vital roles in the win.
➜ Heritage 49, Georgetown-Ridge Farm 44. The host Hawks held on for a win in their first game on Friday, taking a 30-27 lead into halftime and increasing it to 39-32 before the fourth quarter. Rylan White scored a team-high 19 points for Heritage (5-8) in snapping a six-game losing streak, while Brennan Struck (11 points) and Brayden Jones (eight points) also contributed. Deven Vice scored a game-high 23 points and Jase Latoz had 12 points for the Buffaloes (1-11).
➜ Salt Fork 55, Mt. Pulaski 46. Salt Fork relied heavily on Gavin Holmes to secure a win in its first game on Friday. Holmes dropped in a game-high 24 points, with Salt Fork leading 36-18 at halftime. Jameson Remole (10 points), Kam Keller (nine points) and Ian Church (nine points) also chipped in for the Storm (5-4).
➜ Georgetown-Ridge Farm 53, Armstrong-Potomac 50. Georgetown-Ridge Farm earned its first tournament victory and snapped a six-game losing streak by holding on for a win Friday night. Jase Latoz scored a game-high 22 points for the Buffaloes (2-11), making five three-pointers. Deven Vice (14 points) and Austin Grider (nine points) also contributed for G-RF, which trailed 36-35 going into the fourth quarter. James Huisinga scored a team-high 19 points for A-P (10-3) and Luke Townsend added 10 points.
➜ Salt Fork 38, Heritage 29. Ian Church tallied a game-high 15 points and Kam Keller joined him in double figures with 13 points as the Storm earned its second win on Friday. Rylan White scored a team-high 13 points to pace Heritage (5-9).
At Bismarck
➜ Phalen Academy (Ind.) 81, Milford 35. A sizable first-half deficit was too much for Milford to overcome in its first game on Friday. The Bearcats (1-11) trailed 48-20 at halftime, with Tyler Runner scoring a team-high 12 points and Mario Martinez producing 11 points.
➜ Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin 74, Providence Cristo (Ind.) 32. BHRA opened its day Friday with a resounding win, taking a 43-18 lead at halftime. Micah Stanford dropped a game-high 26 points to lead the Blue Devils (14-0), with Keison Peoples scoring 15 points and Caden Keleminic adding eight points.
➜ Irvington Prep (Ind.) 60, Milford 49. Milford concluded pool play with a loss despite only trailing 28-22 at halftime. Caleb Clutteur did most of the work offensively for the Bearcats (1-12) with a game-high 28 points and Hixon Lafond wound up with eight points.
➜ Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin 76, Irvington Prep (Ind.) 56. Micah Stanford put on an eye-catching performance, helping the Blue Devils advance to Saturday night’s title game and remaining unbeaten on the season. Stanford dropped in a game-high 34 points for BHRA (15-0), with Keison Peoples scoring 17 points.
St. Teresa Christmas Tournament
➜ Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 59, Central A&M 52. Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond snapped a six-game losing streak after rallying from a 32-26 halftime deficit in Decatur. Will Hilligoss scored a team-high 14 points for the Knights (2-9), with Colin Smith scoring 12 points. Kendall Schrock (nine points), Marcus Otto (eight points) and Ryan Appleby (eight points) also contributed.
➜ Maroa-Forsyth 81, Judah Christian 36. Judah Christian had difficult slowing down the Trojans, falling behind 22-5 at the end of the first quarter in an eventual loss. Zach Bailey scored a team-high 12 points for the Tribe (2-9).
Dieterich Holiday Tournament
➜ Sullivan 85, Ramsey 24. Sullivan wasted little time in its first game on Friday, taking a 28-6 lead into the second quarter and never looking back. Camden Watkins scored a game-high 20 points for the Redskins (5-6), with Mitchell Hooten hitting double figures with 12 points.
➜ Arcola 45, Sullivan 36. Arcola won its second straight tournament game thanks to balanced scoring as the Purple Riders (10-1) received 11 points from Braden Phillips, 10 points from Tanner Thomas, nine points from Brody Phillips and seven points from Canton Wesch in the win. DeMarkus Moore led Sullivan (5-7) with 11 points and Tegan McRill contributed seven points.
➜ Arcola 61, Red Hill 28. Arcola clinched a spot in Saturday night’s championship game with its third straight tournament victory. The Purple Riders (11-1) enjoyed an 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and a 29-18 advantage at halftime. Canton Wesch scored a game-high 21 points — all on the seven three-pointers he made — for Arcola. Braden Phillips and Tanner Thomas also had big games, scoring 17 points apiece.
Greenview Holiday Tournament
➜ Blue Ridge 60, Greenview 32. Blue Ridge cruised to a first-round win against the host Bulldogs as Isaace Price led the way with a game-high 23 points. Wesley Clark (nine points) and Corbin Colbert (seven points) helped the Knights (6-6) build a 28-17 halftime lead they increased in the second half.
Tri-County Holiday Tournament
➜ Westville 48, Martinsville 42. Aiden White scored 16 points, Easton Barney finished with 14 points and Matt Darling tossed in nine points for the Tigers (10-2) to win their tournament opener in Kansas.
➜ Westville 57, Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg 42. Westville took the lead early and then stretched it out to run the Tigers’ win streak to six games. Aiden White led Westville (11-2) with 17 points, while Preston Wright compiled 16 points on the strength of four three-pointers and Easton Barney also reached double figures with 12 points.
In girls’ basketball
Monticello Holiday Hoopla
➜ Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 73, Neoga 45. Lily Sizemore scored a game-high 29 points as Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley ran away from Neoga for a win in its first game on Friday. Lizzie Giroux (16 points) and Sophia Ray (10 points) joined Sizemore in double figures for the Falcons (11-1).
➜ Clinton 57, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 21. Clinton darted out to a 29-4 lead at the end of the first quarter in its first game on Friday that extended the Maroons’ winning streak to five games. Clara Dempsey scored a game-high 16 points for Clinton (11-3), with Carly Anderson not far behind with 15 points. Aubrey Busboom had a team-high nine points for PBL (2-13).
➜ Monticello 56, Tuscola 53. Monticello needed overtime, but the host Sages prevailed after Tuscola rallied from a 36-21 halftime deficit. Ali Weidner scored a team-high 21 points and added six rebounds for the Sages (6-6), with Sarah Cresap delivering 12 points and four steals. Taylor Gordon scored a team-high 21 points for Tuscola (7-7) and Ava Boyer finished with 15 points.
➜ Tri-Valley 58, Ridgeview 22. Kamryn Rinkenberger scored a team-high 11 points for Ridgeview, but the Mustangs (4-11) fell behind 31-17 at halftime and could not make up the deficit in the second half.
➜ Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 47, Clinton 40. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley earned its way into the championship game against Tri-Valley on Saturday night, taking a 17-8 lead at the end of the first quarter against the Maroons and holding on. Lily Sizemore scored a team-high 14 points for GCMS (12-1), with Sophia Ray adding 13 points. Clara Dempsey scored a game-high 17 points to lead Clinton (11-4).
➜ Neoga 57, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 29. Tanner Graham had a team-high 13 points and Hallee Johnson had eight points for Paxton-Buckley-Loda (2-14), which only trailed 20-15 at halftime.
Blue Devil Classic
At Bismarck
➜ North Vermillion (Ind.) 38, Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin 22. Sluggish offense in the second and fourth quarters was the downfall for the host Blue Devils in a loss in their first game on Friday. Draycee Nelson had a team-high eight points for BHRA (7-6), which led 8-7 at the end of the first quarter but trailed 20-10 at halftime and 30-20 to start the fourth quarter.
➜ Oakwood 53, Westville 51. A close game throughout ended the same way, with the Comets (5-11) prevailing in their first game on Friday. Gracie Hanner scored a game-high 16 points for Oakwood, with 13 of those points coming in the second half. Rylee Wright (10 points), Caydence Vermillion (eight points) and Brooklyn Myers (seven points) also had a significant hand in the win. Gwen Bennett scored a team-high 15 points for Westville (6-9) and Lani Gondzur added 14 points.
➜ Armstrong-Potomac 48, Attica (Ind.) 39. Armstrong-Potomac received a big game from Kayla Crull, helping the Trojans earn a win in their first game on Friday. Crull scored a game-high 17 points as A-P (5-8) outscored Attica 17-5 in the third quarter after A-P led 24-22 at halftime. Elle Jameson (seven points) and Ashlyn Ackerman (six points) also contributed.
➜ Salt Fork 43, Unity 32. The duo of Alexa Jamison and Sailor Pacot proved once again too tough to stop, sparking Salt Fork to another win in its first game on Friday. Jamison scored a game-high 18 points for the Storm (15-0), which led 25-16 at halftime, and Pacot joined her in double figures with 12 points. Claire Meharry scored a team-high 10 points for Unity (7-7), with Lauren Haas adding seven points in the loss.
➜ Benton Central (Ind.) 60, Oakwood 33. Oakwood fell behind by double digits in the first quarter and couldn’t produce a second win on Friday. Bella Bradford scored a team-high 10 points for the Comets (5-12), while Gracie Hanner finished with nine points.
➜ North Vermillion (Ind.) 57, Armstrong-Potomac 46. Armstrong-Potomac only trailed 40-35 after three quarters, but couldn’t push past the Falcons in the fourth quarter. Ashlyn Ackerman scored a team-high 15 points for the Trojans (5-9), with teammates Elle Jameson adding 10 points and Chesney Franzen finishing with nine points.
➜ Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin 31, Attica (Ind.) 27. Ava Acton and Draycee Nelson helped the host Blue Devils rally for a win after their 13-10 halftime lead was turned into a 22-21 deficit to start the fourth quarter. Acton scored a game-high 11 points and Nelson added nine points for BHRA (8-6).
➜ Salt Fork 48, Westville 23. Salt Fork picked it up after trailing 8-7 at the end of the first quarter, cruising to its latest win and remaining undefeated on the season. Alexa Jamison scored a game-high 19 points for the Storm (16-0), who led 23-11 at halftime and 37-19 to start the fourth quarter. Teammate Bracie Hird also hit double figures with 14 points. Lani Gondzur paced the Tigers (6-10) with 12 points.
➜ Benton Central (Ind.) 67, Unity 31. Unity trailed 28-4 at the end of the first quarter in its second loss on Friday. Josie Cler scored a team-high eight points for the Rockets (7-8), with Natalie Haas adding seven points.
State Farm Holiday Classic Small Schools
➜ St. Joseph-Ogden 36, Normal U-High 33. St. Joseph-Ogden withstood a second-half rally by the Pioneers to earn a win in the consolation quarterfinal game at Bloomington High School. The Spartans, who led 22-9 at halftime before going into the fourth quarter only ahead 27-25, received a team-high nine points from Sara Kearney and eight points apiece from Timera Blackburn-Kelley and Addie Brooks in the win. SJ-O (6-7) faces Rockford Lutheran at 1 p.m. Saturday in a consolation semifinal game.
Dieterich Holiday Tournament
➜ Arcola 47, Casey-Westfield 32. Arcola upped its win streak to four games by shutting down Casey-Westfield early and taking a 14-2 lead into the second quarter. Kacie Sisk was nearly the whole offense for the Purple Riders (8-4) with a game-high 27 points, while teammate Crystal Ramirez added 12 points.
➜ Brownstown/St. Elmo 57, Arcola 33. The Purple Riders couldn’t keep their successful tournament run intact, with Brownstown/St. Elmo taking a 32-18 lead into halftime. Kacie Sisk scored the majority of the points for Arcola (8-5) with a team-high 20 points. Ava Simpson chipped in eight points.
Robinson Holidaze Hoopla
➜ Staunton 69, Tri-County 41. Tri-County trailed 22-10 at the end of the first quarter in its first game on Friday and couldn’t complete a comeback. Haylee Buckler scored a game-high 14 points for the Titans (9-5).
➜ Sullivan (Ind.) 61, Tri-County 25. The Titans’ second game on Friday didn’t fare much better, with Tri-County only managing a single free throw in the second quarter to go into halftime down 24-8. Taylor Williams and Natalie Knoll each finished with seven points for Tri-County (9-6).
In wrestling
Abe’s Rumble
➜ At Springfield. LeRoy/Tri-Valley, Oakwood/Salt Fork and Unity all went 4-0 on the first day of the two-day event at the Bank of Springfield Center. Unity defeated El Paso-Gridley 49-23, Sacred Heart-Griffin 67-6, Ottawa Marquette 51-24 and Petersburg PORTA 55-21. Hunter Eastin picked up four wins for the Rockets at 190 pounds and 215 pounds, with all four of those victories by pin. LeRoy/Tri-Valley beat Macomb 73-5, Sterling Newman 42-39, Hoopeston Area 46-30 and Prairie Central 72-9. Tate Sigler stood out for the Panthers with three pins at 285. Oakwood/Salt Fork beat Beardstown 47-26, Stillman Valley 60-23, Wilmington 52-10 and Benton 55-23. Thomas Wells shined for Oakwood/Salt Fork at 138 as he went 4-0 and recorded three pins.
Red Schmitt Holiday Tournament
➜ At Granite City. Mahomet-Seymour is tied for 13th place at the 30-team event after the first day of competition on Friday. Justus Vrona at 138 pounds and Phil Daniels at 285 both went 4-0 on Friday for the Bulldogs, while Marco Casillas at 175 went 3-0.
Floyd Bee Memorial Holiday Tournament
➜ At Lincoln. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher is in third place at the 32-team event after Friday’s first day of action on the mat. The Falcons have five wrestlers still in contention for an individual title after Camden Brucker at 113 pounds, Landen Lage at 126, Ethan Lowe at 144, Hudson Babb at 150 and Jaxon Wright at 190 all reached the semifinals in their respective weight classes. Danville, in 15th place, has Josiah Williams at 157 and Tavares Upshaw Jr. at 190 into the semifinals. Centennial, which is in 24th place, has Nehemie Mbangi wrestling in the semifinals at 138 and St. Thomas More, in 26th place, has J.J. Schmidt in the semifinals at 285.
