(3-11-18) Boylan will try and return to Peoria for the first time since 2007 when they play North Chicago at the Sears Centre on Tuesday (3-13-18) night in the IHSA Class 3A Boys Basketball Super-Sectional.

The Titans won their Sectional at Woodstock North last night coming from behind to beat Burlington Central 57-55, while North Chicago upset DePaul College Prep 66-58.

north chicago

Both teams won their conference titles this season, the Warhawks won an undisputed Northern Lake County Conference title with a 14-0 record.  Boylan picked up a share of the NIC 10 title with Jefferson (beat the J-Hawks twice) going 11-3 in conference play.

For Boylan they had to come from behind again after trailing Burlington Central 49-44 with 5:03 left in the final quarter. Titan Senior Guard Ben Ambrose came up big to lead Boylan on a 12-1 run and  scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half.

Burlington Central Head Coach Brett Porto told the Daily Herald after the game:

“It was tough to put them away. Those physical layups, physical rebounds, loose balls. They got a few more of them late.”

Boylan Head Coach Brett McAllister in the same story talked about the close call win:

“We’ve been in these type of games all year long.  That was the message in the timeouts because we’ve been in these spots all year long. That atmosphere was an absolute blast. We have so much respect for Burlington and what they did this year. For us to do that tonight is just incredible.”

The Warhawks, who hosted their own Sectional,  upset highly thought of and #1 seed Depaul Prep to win their first sectional title since 2014. Raeshaun Samoa (6’6 Jr F) had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way.

In the Warhawks Sectional semifinal win over Carmel 73-61,  Tyrek Cooper (5’11 Sr G) had a game-high 23 points, including three key 3-pointers down the stretch. Raeshaun Samoa added 15 points, DyShawn Gales had 14 points, and Pierce Coleman had 10 points.

The Warhawks have a well-balanced team that can score inside or can use the three ball from outside.

During its tournament run North Chicago has been doing some fun activities and team-building since the Carmel game.

Warhawks’ Coach Gerald Coleman told the Daily Herald:

“We’ve been doing a lot of bowling. Yesterday we had softball practice. We put the bases out (in the gym for softball). I was hoping that it would be warm enough to go out and play tennis, too.”

Coleman’s reasoning for cutting back on basketball:

“It takes the kids’ minds off basketball. They’ve been playing a lot of basketball, all year long and a lot of AAU basketball. Now it’s all mental and that made them hungry, they really wanted to get back on the court.”

The Titans are the most under appreciated team in the NIC 10, despite being the conference co-champions. Head Coach Brett McAllister was overlooked as NIC 10 Coach of the Year (given to Auburn’s Bryan Ott) even though many times he started three sophomores. The Titans were slighted again when the All NIC 10 team was named with only Jack Zuba being named to the first team and last night’s hero Ben Ambrose was given Special Mention (co-champion Jefferson had three players on the 1st team and the MVP My’Quion Garrett).

But for the Titans te good news fro them, they are the only remaining NIC 10 team left in tournament play and are just one gwin away from the State Finals in Peoria.

Hoosier Movie Quote by Coach Norman Dale-

Five players on the floor functioning as one single unit: team, team, team – no one more important that the other.

 

Inside Look
(schedules and roster from MaxPreps)

Common Opponents

  • Hononegah 66 North Chicago 54
  • Hononegah 63 Boylan 53

 

  • Waukegan 67 Boylan 47
  • Waukegan 107 North Chicago 83

 

  • Carmel 65 Boylan 46
  • North Chicago 73 Carmel 61 – Sectional semifinal

 

  • Boylan 73 Grant 69
  • North Chicago 62 Grant 60
  • North Chicago 73 Grant 57

 

North Chicago (21-8)
Northern Lake County Conference (14-0)

Date  – Opponent – Result

Sprinfield Lanphier Thanksgiving Tournament
11/22 East St. Louis (L) 69 – 66
11/24 Corliss (W) 68 – 63
11/25 Cardinal Ritter College Prep (L) 67 – 63

12/1 @ Round Lake (W) 95 – 49
12/6 Grayslake North (W) 74 – 58
12/9 @ Wauconda (W) 79 – 66
12/15 @ Waukegan (L) 107 – 83
12/16 Zion-Benton (L) 85 – 80

State Farm Classic
12/27 Hononegah (L) 66 – 54
12/28 Normal University (L) 80 – 74 (OT)
12/28 Glenwood (L) 51 – 49
12/29 Plainfield South (W) 80 – 52
1/13 @ Grant (W) 62 – 60
1/15 @ Chicago Marshall (W) 64 – 45
1/16 @ Grayslake Central (W) 56 – 44
1/19 Antioch (W) 78 – 46
1/23 Lakes (W) 74 – 53
1/26 Round Lake (W) 84 – 27
1/27 Curie (L) 87 – 45
1/30 @ Grayslake North (W) 68 – 58
2/2 Wauconda (W) 75 – 58
2/6 Grant (W) 73 – 57
2/9 Grayslake Central (W) 62 – 61
2/16 @ Antioch (W) 70 – 43
2/20 @ Lakes (W) 64 – 47

2018 IHSA Boys Basketball State Championships

2/27 Elmwood Park (W) 87 – 40
3/7 Carmel (W) 73 – 61
3/9 DePaul College Prep (W) 66 – 58

ROSTER

#	Name	Positions	Gr.	Ht
1	Jamar Mays	G	Fr.	5-11
2	Ishaun Walker	G	Sr.	5-11
5	DeAndre James	G	Sr.	5-9
11	Steven RodriguezG	Fr.	5-10
12	Michael Waiters	G	Jr.	6-0
15	Syshonne Lymone	G	Sr.	6-3
21	Nathaneil FieldsG	Sr.	5-9
22	Quency Gilmore	G	Jr.	6-3
32	DyShawn Gales	G	Sr.	6-0
33	Tyrek Cooper	G	Sr.	5-11
40	Raeshaun Samoa	F	Jr.	6-6
42	Achan Clinton	F	Jr.	6-8
50	Ricky Irby	F	So.	6-5
52	Pierce Coleman	G	Sr.	6-3

Boylan (22-10)
NIC 10 Co-Champions (13-3)

Date  – Opponent – Result

Grant Thanksgiving Tournament

11/20 Carmel (L) 65 – 46
11/21 Waukegan (L) 67 – 47
11/22 North Lawndale (L) 76 – 55
11/24 @ Grant (W) 73 – 69

11/29 @ Guilford (W) 63 – 37
12/1 @ Freeport (W) 56 – 39
12/6 Rockford East (W) 65 – 57
12/8 Jefferson (W) 56 – 54
12/13 @ Belvidere North (W) 74 – 49
12/15 Belvidere (W) 61 – 56

 

Pekin Holiday Tournament

12/27 Washington (L) 43 – 41
12/28 Chicago Mt. Carmel (W) 73 – 49
12/28 Moline (L) 65 – 54
12/29 East Moline United (L) 60 – 45

1/5 Rockford Auburn (L) 52 – 51

Hononegah MLK Tournament

1/13 DeKalb (L) 47 – 36
1/13 Neuqua Valley (W) 74 – 70
1/15 Normal West (W) 42 – 41
1/15 Normal Community (W) 75 – 69

1/19 Guilford (W) 59 – 49
1/24 Harlem (W) 67 – 40
1/26 @ Rockford East (W) 50 – 46
1/30 @ Hononegah (L) 63 – 53
2/2 @ Jefferson (W) 62 – 58
2/7 Freeport (W) 63 – 54
2/9 Belvidere North (W) 68 – 67 (2OT)
2/16 @ Belvidere (W) 65 – 25
2/21 @ Rockford Auburn (L) 57 – 45

2018 IHSA Boys Basketball State Championships

2/27 Belvidere (W) 62 – 57
3/2 Rockford Lutheran (W) 69 – 59
3/7 St. Francis (W) 51 – 46
3/9 Burlington Central(W) 57 – 55

 

ROSTER

#	Name	Positions	Gr.	Ht	Wt
0	Ben Close	G	Sr.	6-1	165
1	Luke Bergstrom	G	Jr.	6-0	165
2	Jack Zuba	G	Sr.	6-3	175
3	Johnny Close	G	So.	6-1	150
4	Ben Ambrose	G	Sr.	5-10	170
10	Jake Bergstrom	G	Jr.	6-0	170
11	Joseph Krein	G	Jr.	5-9	165
12	John Starck	G	So.	5-10	160
21	Nate Droessler	G	Sr.	5-9	160
23	Matt Pearson	F	Sr.	6-3	195
24	Max Kwiatkowski	F	Jr.	6-2	175
25	Tommy Furst	F	Jr.	6-4	195
32	Anthony Brown	F	So.	6-3	195
35	CJ Couper	F	Jr.	6-1	185