These boys basketball teams from around Peoria will play for IHSA sectional titles
The Sweet Sixteen is set.
All 16 boys basketball teams in each of the four classes from the Illinois High School Association playoffs are ready to play in Friday's sectional title games following semifinal victories on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Peoria-area contingent is led by No. 1 Metamora and No. 8 Richwoods in Class 3A, Class 1A's second-ranked Illini Bluffs with Class 2A No. 4 Princeton. This is what's ahead for these teams in Friday's sectional finals and how they won in the semis.
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CLASS 3A
Richwoods vs. Metamora
What's next: Top-ranked Metamora (30-2) and the eighth-ranked Knights (25-5) meet at 7 p.m. Friday in the Galesburg Sectional title for a spot in the Ottawa Supersectional on Monday. The Redbirds were last season's state runner-up, while the Knights haven't played in this game since a 2010 3A second-place finish.
How they won: Metamora beat Sterling, 72-70, on Wednesday for its 28th win in a row. The Redbirds needed late free throws from Drew Tucker (23 points) and Ethan Kizer (12 points) to hold off the upset-minded Golden Warriors. Tyson Swanson scored eight of his team-high 24 points in the first quarter, while Tyler Mason added 13. Sterling led by as many as seven in the first half before Metamora was able to grab its first lead, 32-30 with 2:40 to play in the second quarter. JP Schilling scored 18 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter. Richwoods beat Rock Island, 73-52 on Tuesday thanks to a 13-2 first-half push started by Marquel Newsome's first-quarter buzzer-beater. He finished with 15 points as the Knights forced Rocky into 16 turnovers and held them below 55 points for the eighth time this season. The Knights, who haven't played in a sectional title game since a 2010 3A state runner-up finish, used a third-quarter stretch from Sabri Qattum (10 points) to go up 12 and never look back.
CLASS 1A
Illini Bluffs vs. Camp Point Central
What's next: No. 2-ranked Illini Bluffs (31-4) meets fifth-ranked Camp Point Central (27-4) in the 7 p.m. Friday final at the Bushnell-Prairie City Sectional. Illini Bluffs edged Camp Point, 51-50 in the semifinals of the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament on Dec. 30. The winner of the sectional title plays at 7 p.m. Monday in the Jacksonville Supersectional.
How they won: Illini Bluffs took out Elmwood for a second time, beating the Trojans, 45-15 on Tuesday. Hank Alvey's 21 points paced the Tigers, who also got 10 points each from Devon White and Brandon Coats. IB has one sectional championship in program history, winning a 1981 Class A one under former longtime coach Mike Colston. Camp Point Central beat Peoria Christian, 51-39 despite 18 points from Malachi Persinger. Nick Moore (22 points) and Issac Genenbacher (16 points) paced the Panthers, who are in the sectional for just the fifth time in program history but never have won one .
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CLASS 2A
Princeton vs. Taylor Ridge Rockridge
What's next: The No. 4-ranked Tigers (32-2) will meet seventh-ranked Taylor Ridge Rockridge (26-4) at 7 p.m. Friday at the Orion Sectional. A trip to the Sterling Supersectional is on the line. Princeton hasn't been to the state finals since a 1955 single-class fourth-place finish, while Rockridge was last year's fourth-place finisher.
How they won: Princeton defeated Port Byron Riverdale, 77-40, on Tuesday as the Tigers are now looking for their first sectional title since 2009. Noah LaPorte led the Tigers with 19 points. Gray Thompson added 18 with Teegan Davis chipping 17 and Kolten Monroe 12. Rockridge beat Rock Falls, 66-46 on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: How Peoria teams fared in the IHSA boys basketball sectionals
