PONTIAC—Carlos Harris stepped up right when his team needed him most on Thursday.
“That’s his job,” Curie coach Mike Oliver said. “I challenged him. He wants to be the guy driving the bus so he has to step up and score in the big situations. Luckily he did tonight.”
Harris finished with 19 points in the Condors’ 50-44 win against New Trier in the quarterfinals of the 91st Pontiac Holiday Tournament.
The junior guard scored nine points in an 11-0 third quarter run that saw Curie take control of the game. Harris left with an injured knee with 2:24 to play and the Condors leading New Trier 45-39. Curie had to see the game out without him.
“I was worried,” Oliver said. “But we have guys that have been there before and they tend to step up.”
Chikasi Ofoma scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds and Jeremy Harrington added seven points for the Condors (10-3).
Jake Fiegen led the Trevians (13-2) with 21 points and Ian Brown scored nine.
Harris was on crutches after the game but Oliver said he was hopeful it was just a sprain.
Benet 49, Bloom 43
Joliet West 57, Lockport 33
Simeon 86, Pontiac 41: Michael Ratliff led the Wolverines with 19 points. This will still be a tournament to remember for Pontiac. Kerr Bauman scored 16 for the Indians, who should be able to make some noise again next season.
Bloomington (State Farm)
Sacred Heart-Griffin 58, Wheaton-Warrenville South 41: The defending Class 3A state champs pulled away in the third quarter. Jake Hamilton scored 21 and Zack Hawkinson added 19. Braylen Meredith led the Tigers with 15 points.
Romeoville 59, Mesa AZ 39: A really nice win for the Spartans against the team that knocked Brother Rice out of the tournament. Junior Meyoh Swansey scored 19 and senior Troy Cicero Jr. added 13. Romeoville will be underdogs in the title game.
Hinsdale Central championship
Hinsdale Central 54, Oswego East 41: The Red Devils win their tournament for the first time and do it in spectacular fashion, taking down a ranked team that had beaten them already this season. Senior Emerson Eck scored 17 and Ben Oosterbaan added 11. It’s been a pretty good holiday tournament run for West Suburban conference teams overall.
Pekin championship
Mount Carmel 74, Moline 61: It’s back-to-back titles for the Caravan. Angelo Ciaravino scored 20, his brother Anthony scored 18 and so did DeAndre Craig. Moline, which has a pair of Iowa recruits, impressed observers over the summer and had a lofty spot in the Class 4A AP rankings. This is a big win for the Catholic League after Brother Rice and St. Ignatius both fell short of holiday titles.
Proviso West championship
Young 58, Kenwood 55: The Dolphins win the rematch. Daniel Johnson scored 16. The unsigned senior had a tremendous tournament. Dalen Davis had 11 and Antonio Munoz added 10 points and nine rebounds. Dai Dai Ames scored 24 for Kenwood.
Young coach Tyrone Slaugher missed the entire tournament due to a medical issue.
“The players are the reason I do what I do, and to that end I wanted them to be free to enjoy the tournament,” Slaughter tweeted after the game. “As I’ve always said our coaches are the best in the business, and our players are Teflon tuff. And it showed with their play and coaching this week.”
Rich (Big Dipper) semifinals
Perspectives-Leadership 68, Hyde Park 61: Here we go, it looks like the Warriors team that received some hype in the preseason has fully jelled. Junior Tim Handy scored 18 and grabbed eight rebounds and Jakee Cole scored 18.
Hillcrest 69, Rich 67: Two key observations here. The Big Dipper is back. Saw a huge crowd tonight and heard they have been good the last couple of days. And it looks like Lou Adams has the Raptors playing really well. But Hillcrest heads into the title game. Quentin Heady scored 21 to lead the Hawks.
York semifinals
Lyons 66, St. Ignatius 47: Nik Polonowski scored 19, Connor Carroll had 18 and Jackson Niego added 14. The Lions’ ball movement was really impressive. Tom Sloan’s squad just looked very cohesive and the rebounded well in the second half. I watched this one on the great York Sports Network stream. Richard Barron led the Wolfpack with 24 points.
Rolling Meadows 76, Bolingbrook 61: The Raiders pulled close a few times but Cam Christie wouldn’t be denied, pouring in 34 points for Rolling Meadows. Mark Nikolich-Wilson added 18. Kyan Berry-Johnson led Bolingbrook with 12 points.
