2023 boys' basketball postseason: Friday's sectional championship games
Mar. 3—Class 2A Herscher Sectional
(1) Prairie Central (31-2) vs. (1) Pontiac (26-6), 7 p.m.
Regional results: Prairie Central defeated (9) Clifton Central 68-33, (5) Monticello 72-38 and (3) Bishop McNamara 74-66; Pontiac defeated (12) Manteno 78-52, (8) Peotone 54-39 and (2) St. Joseph-Ogden 55-40.
Dylan Bazzell (Sr.); Tyler Curl (Jr.); Drew Fehr (Sr.); Levi Goad (Jr.); Camden Palmore (Sr.).
Pontiac players to watch: Logan Barnett (Sr.); Henry Brummel (Jr.); Kerr Bauman (Jr.); Seth Branscum (Sr.); Riley Weber (Jr.).
Did you know: This will be the third meeting of the season between the two rivals of the Illini Prairie Conference and Livingston County. Prairie Central won each of those, defeating Pontiac 54-37 on the road in December and staving off the Indians 63-62 in a January overtime thriller. Curl's 18 points and senior Drew Haberkorn's 13 points paced the Hawks in the first game, with Pontiac led by 10 points apiece from Weber and Brummel. The second game included 20 points from Bazzell and 17 points from Curl, as well as 18 points from Weber and 17 points from Brummel.
Prediction: Prairie Central 73, Pontiac 70.
Winner advances to: Class 2A Springfield Super-Sectional, at 6 p.m. Monday, versus (1) Normal U-High or (2) Bloomington Central Catholic.
Class 1A Altamont Sectional
(1) Tuscola (28-6) vs. (1) Altamont (29-4), 7 p.m.
Regional results: Tuscola defeated (15) Tri-County 79-14, (9) Villa Grove 101-35, (6) Arcola 63-46 and (3) Effingham St. Anthony 48-45; Altamont defeated (16) Mulberry Grove 84-28, (10) Carlyle 62-48, (4) Nokomis 59-37 and (2) Casey-Westfield 61-59.
Tuscola players to watch: Chris Boyd (Sr.); Josiah Hortin (Jr.); Parker James (So.); Jordan Quinn (Jr.); Kam Sweetnam (So.).
Altamont players to watch: Logan Cornett (Sr.); Dillan Elam (Jr.); Jared Hammer (Sr.); Alec Jahraus (Jr.); Mason Robinson (Sr.).
Did you know: Tuscola took it to Altamont during the Feb. 11 Central Illinois Conference-National Trail Conference Shootout, posting a 64-38 victory within the Indians' gymnasium. The Warriors used a 14-6 second-quarter scoring advantage to pull away. Quinn's 23 points and seven rebounds keyed Tuscola, which added 14 points from Sweetnam and 10 points apiece from Hortin and James. Ten different players produced at least two points each for Altamont, but only one exceeded six points — Robinson with 10.
Prediction: Tuscola 53, Altamont 46.
Winner advances to: Class 1A Carbondale Super-Sectional, at 6 p.m. Monday, versus (2) Mounds Meridian or (3) Bluford Webber.
