Prairie Central defeats Monticello, falls to Lincoln and loses top scorer
FAIRBURY — Prairie Central won the game but lost a key player as the Hawks got past Monticello 45-41 at PCHS Thursday.
The story for Prairie Central was being able to overcome the loss of Tyler Curl. The Hawks' leading scorer left with an ankle injury with about three minutes remaining in the second quarter. He only had two points on the night.
The Hawks were able to rebound with Talen Steidinger, Gage Steidinger and Gavin Tredennick hitting key shots in support of Levi Goad, who has been one of the top two players all season.
Prairie Central led 28-20 at the intermission but stumbled a bit in the third period as the Sages cut the deficit to 33-31 entering the final frame. Monticello took a 34-33 lead 65 seconds into the fourth frame but Talen Steidinger got a layup to put PC back in the lead. Although tied one more time, the Hawks did not trail the rest of the way.
Goad finished with 13 points while Gage Steidinger and Talen Steidinger each scored seven points. Tredennick added six and Avery Elder tossed in five points.
Thursday
Flanagan-Cornell 58, Fisher 45 — At Flanagan, Kesler Collins scored 16 points in the first quarter and carried Flanagan-Cornell to a Heart of Illinois Conference over Fisher in the regular-season finale for the Falcons.
Collins finished with 29 points for Flanagan-Cornell (18-12). Seth Jones added 11 points and Connor Reed threw in nine. Despite Collins' effort, the Falcons only led by three heading into the last stanza. However, Collins, Jones and Reed combined for 15 points to keep the Bunnies in check.
EPG 82, Peoria Quest 59 — At El Paso, Micah Meiss registered a double double as he led El Paso-Gridley to a nonconference win over Peoria Quest Thursday. Meiss led EPG (24-5) with 27 points and 13 rebounds. He also dished off seven assists.
The Titans led just 30-26 at the half but put up 25 points in the third to take control.
Braden Hayes added 20 points and Chancesay Maxon tossed in 14. Jonah Funk snared 10 rebounds.
Herscher 56, Dwight 39 — At Herscher, a trio of Tigers helped lead host Herscher to a nonconference win over Dwight in the last regular-season contest for both teams Thursday.
Dwight could only counter with Luke Gallet hitting for 15 points and Joey Starks throwing in 12. Evan Cox chipped in six.
Tuesday
Pontiac 71, St. Thomas More 35 — At Champaign, Pontiac concluded its regular-season with a lopsided victory over host St. Thomas More on Tuesday. The win leaves PTHS (19-10) at 8-1 in Illini Prairie Conference play, good for second place as St. Joseph-Ogden routed Paxton-Buckley-Loda Tuesday to secure the league title.
The Amerinds raced out to a 21-6 lead in the opening frame and shut the door on any comeback hopes with a 27-point third period. Riley Weber led the way with 22 points, including 13 in the third frame.
Every Pontiac player who hit the floor found the scoring column. Weber was the only player in double figures but Kerr Bauman added nine points, Henry Brummel and Amazin King each scored seven and Riley Johnson had six. Ryson Eilts, Cam Fenton, Tim Logan and Hector Garcia had three points apiece. Jeremy Melton, Jake Dewald and Conrad Pfaff had two points apiece.
Lincoln 51, Prairie Central 39 — At Fairbury, Lincoln let Prairie Central's top two players get their points but shut the rest of the club down in recording a nonconference win Tuesday.
Tyler Curl had 17 points and Levi Goad added 15 for Prairie Central (16-13) but only two other players scored as Talon Steidinger and Avery Elder combined for seven points.
EPG 79, Ridgeview 46 — At Colfax, Jonah Funk and Micah Meiss each scored 20 points in driving El Paso-Gridley past host Ridgeview on Tuesday. The win gave the Titans an 11-1 record and second place in the Heart of Illinois Conference.
Led by Funk and Meiss, EPG held leads of 22-14 after one period, 47-26 at the half and 73-37 through three frames. Besides scoring 20 points apiece, Funk grabbed 11 rebounds and Meiss snared 9 caroms. Chancesay Maxon tallied 16 points and Drew Neal finished with nine points.
Flanagan-Cornell 61, Dee-Mack 42 — At Flanagan, Logan Ruddy led a trio of Falcons in double figures as Flanagan-Cornell rolled past Dee-Mack. Ruddy scored 21 points with Seth Jones adding 13 and Kesler Collins chipping in 12. Mason Rich checked in with five points.
The Falcons jumped out to a 13-7 lead in the first period and outscored the Chiefs 23-13 in the second to take control of the Heart of Illinois Conference contest.
Saturday
Flanagan-Cornell 45, Pleasant Plains 42 — At Riverton, Kesler Collins had a milestone game in leading the Falcons past Pleasant Plains at the Riverton Shootout. Collins not only grabbed his 1,000th rebound, he buried a half-court shot at the buzzer to left the Falcons past the Cardinals.
Head coach Brian Yoder called it a “Grant Hill-to-Christian Laettner” play as Collins caught a long inbound pass at center court, turned and fired, hitting nothing but net for the game-winner.
The game was close all the way. The Falcons led by three at the half and trailed by one entering the last stanza. The game was tied with 0.8 seconds left when Collins made the Flanagan-Cornell play of the year. He finished with 13 points.
Logan Ruddy led Flanagan-Cornell with 14 points and Connor Reed had eight points.
St. Bede 69, Dwight 68 — At Peru, free throws down the stretch were the difference as Dwight suffered a one-point loss in a nonconference tilt. St. Bede made five tosses in the final frame while the Trojans dropped just one.
Luke Gallet tossed in 19 points to pace Dwight (7-21). Tristan Larkin added 16 points and Joe Duffy checked in with 14.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Tyler Curl sustains injury but Hawks rebound for win over Sages
