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.
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
Hyde Park vs. Thornwood
De La Salle vs. Rich
Ag. Science vs. Hillcrest
Wheeling quarterfinals
Hampshire vs. Libertyville
Deerfield vs. Neuqua Valley
Prospect vs. Fremd
Notre Dame vs. Glenbrook North
York quarterfinals
St. Ignatius vs. Riverside-Brookfield
Palatine vs. Lyons
Glenbrook South vs. Rolling Meadows
Lemont vs. Bolingbrook
