Normal U-High sinks Springfield HS to reach boys hoops sectional final

MAHOMET — Springfield High's Elijah Wade drilled a halfcourt buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter.

The bucket considerably widened and the senior guard poured in three of his next four 3-point attempts to trail by just one possession against Normal U-High with two minutes left in the Class 3A Mahomet-Seymour Sectional semifinal on Wednesday, March 4.

"I was missing in the first half, I had to come back," Wade said.

Except U-High did just enough to withstand the late charge in a 64-54 victory over SHS and advance to the sectional final against three-time Central State Eight Conference champion Decatur MacArthur (33-1) on Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m. MacArthur, ranked No. 3 by The Associated Press, dispatched Champaign Centennial 85-63 on Tuesday and has won its three playoff games by an average margin of 24 points.

"I immediately thought, OK, here comes a run," SHS coach Kevin Causley said. "He hit some big ones throughout the game. I thought for sure we were going to make a push, but shout out to Normal U-High, they matched every punch we delivered and threw one back, so hats off to them."

Wade ultimately scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the second half, shooting 5 of 9 from the field after the break. His younger brother, Noah, delivered 12 points and 10 rebounds. Mayango Jallah contributed 10 points and nine rebounds in a game in which the Senators (21-13) dominated the offensive glass, especially in the first half.

U-High coach Andrew McDowell said his team is typically strong on defensive rebounds, but size was a challenge.

"They were hitting the offensive rebounds with just relentless tenacity, and we stayed together," McDowell said. "We stayed in it. I'm sure they had 20 offensive rebounds; it felt like it at least. But we got the stops when we needed them and down the stretch, we got two senior guards in Dallas (Smith) and Cameron (Johnson) that handled the pressure, got to the rim and made their free throws — just a great team win for us."

U-High (27-6) countered with a barrage of 3s before the break. Seven different players connected from long range in the first half.

Johnson, the team's leading scorer with over 14 points per game, assumed command with 19 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, aided by Jallah's foul trouble inside. Jallah picked up his fourth foul with two minutes left in the third quarter before fouling out with over two minutes left in the fourth.

Causley said it tipped the scales in Johnson's favor. SHS won the previous meeting against U-High 47-34 on Dec. 12.

"Cameron's dominant," McDowell said. "He struggled in the first half with their size, length and aggression. But he was an all-stater in the second half and he made plays and finished at the rim. I'm just really proud of Cameron Johnson."

The Senators nevertheless summoned a historic season with their first regional title since 1999 in Causley's first campaign.

Winning the regional was amazing, Causley said, while the loss only increases his appetite for more. Elijah Wade credited the team's chemistry for laying the foundation for the future.

"Everybody putting in the work, everybody wanting to win, and everybody not playing for themselves but as a team," Wade said.

Wade added that winning the regional "felt great. But hopefully next year, they go further."

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield High, Normal University boys basketball sectional score