Michael O’Brien’s holiday tournament notebook

Raeshom Harris, right, defends as Plainfield North’s Demir Ashuru takes the ball to the net. (Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times)

PONTIAC–Holiday tournaments are a big deal to Illinois high school basketball fans, but Pontiac residents take things to an entirely different level.

The east side of the gym, where Pontiac Holiday Tournament season ticket holders sit, was jam-packed for the first game of the event, a 9 a.m. matchup between Plainfield North and Bloom.

“That’s amazing to see,” Blazing Trojans senior Raeshom Harris said. “And it makes a big difference to have a crowd like that when you are trying to get energized for such an early game.”

Harris and his teammates flashed some tantalizing potential in the second half of their 68-47 win against the Tigers.

Harris led No. 15 Bloom (7-2) with 20 points and sophomore Elijah Lovemore, a transfer from St. Laurence, provided a huge spark off the bench with 14 points.

“Lovemore has been doing everything we asked and he’s getting more comfortable playing with this group,” Blazing Trojans coach Dante Maddox said. “We’ve been inconsistent this season and the biggest reason is not playing with chemistry. When we play together we can play with anybody.”

Pontiac first round

Benet 78, Oak Park-River Forest 56: The Redwings started a little slow but Patrick Walsh (15 points) and Sam Driscoll (18 points) provided a huge lift off the bench in the second quarter.

Read all about this one.

Lockport 58, Peoria Manual 56 OT: The Rams missd a turnaround three at the buzzer so the Porters are heading into the quarterfinals. Caden Schoolcraft scored 14 and Bryce Turner added 13. Geron Trapps scored 20 for Peoria Manual

Joliet West 76, Bloomington 58: The Tigers did what was expected and Michigan State recruit Jeremy Fears Jr. put on a show with 32 points, five rebounds and five assists. He was 11 for 19 shooting. Plenty has been made of the technical fouls Fears has picked up over his high school career, but the flipside of that is that he doesn’t take a single second off. There isn’t a player in the area that has as big an influence on the court on every single possession, offensively and defensively. Joliet West needed all of that intensity.

Bloomington kept the game close until the Tigers closed the first half with an 8-0 run to lead 41-26.

Sophomore Jeremiah Fears added 18 points and eight assists for Joliet West and Matthew Moore grabbed nine rebounds.

Two players really impressed me from the Purple Raiders. Junior Niko Newsome scored 21 and senior Adam Beasley was everywhere, he finished with 17 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.

New Trier vs. Warren

Curie vs. Danville

Simeon vs. St. Charles North

West Aurora vs. Pontiac

Hinsdale Central semifinals

Oswego East vs. DePaul Prep

Marian Catholic vs. Hinsdale Central

Proviso West semifinals

St. Rita vs. Young

Proviso East vs. Kenwood

Rich (Big Dipper) quarterfinals

Perspectives-Leadership vs. Parker