Bulldogs Win Sectional, Advance To S-S

NOKOMIS -- Effingham St. Anthony High School captured the championship of the Class 1A Nokomis Sectional Friday evening with a 66-57 win over Patoka.

Patoka stepped out to the early lead with a 13-9 opening quarter run.

But the Bulldogs came roaring back with a 22-11 second period to lead 31-24 at halftime.

Once again the Warriors went on a run, outscoring St. Anthony 15-12 in the third quarter to pull within 43-39 going into the final period.

St. Anthony then put the contest on ice with a 23-18 final period run. Adam Levitt connected on nine of his points while Drew Gibson added eight in the final quarter.

Gibson, a 6-foot-3 senior, tallied 28 points to lead the Bulldogs. Also in double figures were 6-foot-2 junior Levitt with 19 and Alex Deters, a 6-foot-2 junior, with 14.

St. Anthony, a member of the Elite Eight, is now one game away from a berth at the Class 2A State Tournament. Now the Bulldogs will face Woodlawn in the super-sectional at Carbondale (SIU) Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Woodlawn defeated Junction (Gallatin County) 50-40 to win the Norris City-Omaha-Enfield Sectional.

St. Anthony advances with a 27-5 record. The winner Tuesday will face the winner of the DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the State Tournament at Peoria's Civic Center. In that super-sectional, Chicago Hope Academy will face East Dubuque.

In the other super-sectionals, at Jacksonville, Mendon Unity takes on Okawville while at Normal ISU, Colfax Ridgeview meets Newark.

Class 1-A Nokomis Sectional

PATOKA (57)

Joliff 0-0 -- 0, Sturgeon 1-3 -- 3, T. Cain 0-0 -- 0, Finckbone 0-0 -- 0, Webb 1-0 -- 2, Walker 0-0 -- 0, Belcher 2-2 -- 7, O'Brien 5-0 -- 10, J. Cain 13-4 -- 33, Hill 0-0 -- 0, Cobb 1-0 -- 2, HInkel 0-0 -- 0. TOTALS 23 FG, 6 FT.

ST. ANTHONY (66)

Waksh 0-0 -- 0, Milleville 0-0 -- 0, Deters 3-5 -- 14, Ludwig 0-0 -- 0, Levitt 6-7 -- 19, Nuxoll 1-0 -- 2, Strullmyer 0-0 -- 0, Wall 0-0 -- 0, Gibson 8-10 -- 28, Beesley 1-0 -- 3, Runge 0-0 -- 0, Lawrencev 0-0 -- 0, Dust 0-0 -- 0. TOTALS 19 FG, 22 FT.

Patoka                   13    11    15    18    --    57

St. Anthony            9    22    12    23    --    66

3-point FG -- Patoka 5 (J. Cain 3, Sturgeon 1, Belcher 1), St. anthony 6 (Deters 3, Gibson 2, Beesley 1).