Happy Holidays. I\u2019ll be traveling all over the northern half of the state to cover high school basketball holiday tournaments for ten days, from Dec. 22 until Dec. 31. You can keep up with all of the coverage right here, so go ahead and bookmark this story. Social media photos, articles and more. I\u2019ll update several times a day. Thanks for reading and enjoy the holiday hoops season.<\/i> <\/p>\nMonday, Dec. 29<\/h3>\n
York: Glenbard East\u2019s balanced effort takes down Palatine<\/h3>\n
Glenbard East spread out the scoring in a 59-56 win against Palatine in the quarterfinals of the Jack Tosh Holiday Tournament on Monday. Danny Snyder<\/b> led with 15 points, Michael Nee<\/b> and Sam Walton<\/b> each scored 12 and Jacob Marynowski<\/b> added 11 points.<\/p>\n
Tony Balanganayi<\/b> paced the Pirates with 22 points. <\/p>\n
Glenbard East was a popular team in the preseason. Nee had an excellent summer and many observers expected the Rams to be one of the area\u2019s better squads. I covered them on the first day of the season and was impressed with their win against rival Glenbard North. The Rams fell out of the Super 25 after losing to Mount Carmel in the Team Rose Shootout on Dec. 14. I still felt they were one of the 25 best teams I\u2019d seen this season, but they did not have the results to back that up. <\/p>\n
Pontiac: Sophomore Darrius Hawkins Jr. sparkles in Homewood-Flossmoor\u2019s tournament debut<\/h3>\n
Point guard Darrius Hawkins Jr.<\/b> was the only known quantity when Homewood-Flossmoor opened the season. Everyone else in the rotation played sparingly last season or transferred in recently. <\/p>\n
Several players have stepped up over the Vikings\u2019 unbeaten start to the season and Hawkins has brilliantly connected all the new parts. Monday against Bloomington the strong young guard did some scoring, dropping 20 points in the first half of H-F\u2019s 99-60 victory. <\/p>\n
Hawkins finished with 29 points and six assists. He shot 12 of 18. <\/p>\n
Jayden McDonald<\/b> scored 16 for the Vikings and sophomore John Brown IV<\/b> added 14 points and six rebounds. <\/p>\n
Bloomington\u2019s 6-5 Dallas Marshall<\/b> is one of the state\u2019s highly-regarded freshmen and he lived up to his reputation with 24 points and seven rebounds. <\/p>\n New Trier\u2019s Danny Houlihan (10) shoots and hits a three in the second half of the Trevians 58-43 win over West Aurora at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Allen Cunningham\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The first moment of basketball that seemed to really grab the attention of fans at the 94th Pontiac Holiday Tournament came from New Trier senior Danny Houlihan<\/b>. The High Point recruit swished a long-range three-pointer on the run in the third quarter of the No. 10 Trevians\u2019 58-43 win against West Aurora in the first round on Monday.<\/p>\n Houlihan finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and two assists. He\u2019s been known as a deadly shooter throughout his high school career, the running mate to all-around senior Christopher Kirkpatrick<\/b>, a Princeton recruit. Houlihan has expanded his game over the past month and New Trier is going to need him take on an even larger role the rest of the season. More of those special moments will be required.<\/p>\n Kirkpatrick, a Sun-Times\u2019 All-Area selection last season, will miss the tournament with an injury and it is unknown when he will return. Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n The defending Pontiac Holiday Tournament champs took care of business in the first round, taking down St. Charles North 75-31. This one was never in doubt. The Rams led 34-7 at halftime. <\/p>\n Rykan Woo<\/b> led top-ranked DePaul Prep with 20 points and Rashaun Porter<\/b> added 14 points and 10 rebounds. <\/p>\n The 94th Pontiac Holiday Tournament opener turned out to be a very competitive morning game. Oak Park had a chance to tie on its last possession but didn\u2019t get off a shot and Joliet West won 60-57. <\/p>\n Junior Deven Triplett<\/b> led the Tigers (7-4) with 23 points, he was 10-for-14 shooting and 3 of 4 from three-point range. Ryan Lipke<\/b>, a 6-6 junior added eight points and six rebounds and Luke Grevengoed<\/b> contributed seven points, six rebounds and four assists. <\/p>\n Sophomore Trent Williams<\/b>, a new name to me, led Oak Park (4-5) with 26 points and five rebounds. He spearheaded the Huskies\u2019 big second quarter. <\/p>\n Junior George Gray<\/b> added 12 points for Oak Park. <\/p>\n Joliet West will face the DePaul Prep in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. <\/p>\n Pontiac, Centralia and Pekin all get started today, so every major holiday tournament in the state is completed or underway at this point. I\u2019ll spend most of the day in Pontiac, but I may sneak over to the State Farm Tournament in Bloomington\/Normal to see Joliet Catholic vs. Normal U-High at 4:30, but who knows. <\/p>\n The biggest games of the day are over at Rich\u2019s Big Dipper where the semifinals feature Kenwood vs. Lincoln Park and Young vs. Warren. <\/p>\n The Jack Tosh quarterfinals at York should all be very competitive, with three ranked teams (St. Ignatius, St. Patrick and Palatine) taking part. Glenbard East is also a Super 25 quality team and Perspectives-Leadership isn\u2019t far off. <\/p>\n Monday\u2019s high school basketball schedule<\/a><\/p>\n Stop 1:<\/b> The 94th Pontiac Holiday Tournament<\/p>\n Total distance covered so far:<\/b> 599 miles<\/p>\n Events visited:<\/b> 8<\/p>\n Kankakee\u2019s Lincoln Williams (1) throws down a dunk in the second half of the Kays\u2019 win over Lincoln-Way Central in the Kankakee Holiday Tournament championship game.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Allen Cunningham\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Lincoln-Way Central coach Brian Flaherty<\/b> described the atmosphere at the Kankakee Holiday Tournament championship game quite well: \u201cIt\u2019s a tough environment. Everyone is here to see Kankakee win. There wasn\u2019t an open seat in the entire gym.\u201d<\/p>\n Kankakee star Lincoln Williams<\/b> felt the weight of all those expectations. It\u2019s supposed to be a special season for the No. 3 Kays, and as the only Super 25 team in the tournament, it was assumed they would roll to the title.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is cool that everyone is so excited about us, but it can be bad,\u201d Williams said. \u201cBefore the game everyone is saying there is no competition in the tournament. Expectations can be a tough thing. We have to make sure we focus.\u201d<\/p>\n The Knights gave Kankakee a stern test. Cedric Terrell III<\/b> made 1 of 2 free throws with six seconds left to give the Kays the lead and they escaped with a 54-50 win and the tournament championship on Sunday. Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s not a big slate of games, but there is some action today. I\u2019ll be in Kankakee for the championship game. I grew up going to the Kankakee gym every season, Joliet regularly played there. It\u2019s an excellent gym with a lot of character. But I\u2019ve never been to the holiday tournament before, so this will be fun. The host Kays take on Lincoln-Way Central in the large school championship game at 6:30. Christ The King faces Manteno in the small school title game right before that, I might see the second half of that one. <\/p>\n Loyola, which has traveled to a holiday tournament in Florida for the past several years, is playing today as well. The Ramblers play Port Charlotte, Fla at 1 p.m. I believe that game is free to watch online, not sure about the Kankakee tournament.<\/p>\n Sunday\u2019s high school basketball schedule<\/a><\/p>\n Stop 1:<\/b> Kankakee Holiday Tournament title game<\/p>\n Total distance covered so far:<\/b> 379 miles<\/p>\n Events visited:<\/b> 7<\/p>\n One of the biggest surprises this season has been the lack of surprises. Very few unexpected teams or players emerged over the first month and so far all of the holiday tournaments are going exactly as everyone expected. <\/p>\n So that makes Morgan Park\u2019s 57-56 upset of Oswego East on Saturday even more notable. The Mustangs outscored the Wolvers 17-10 in the fourth quarter and managed to win despite being out-rebounded 30-22 in the game. <\/p>\n Jacque Lewis<\/b> led Morgan Park (6-2) with 23 points. Daniel Wallace<\/b> scored 10 and Immanel Carter<\/b> added nine points and six rebounds. Lewis made the game-winning three with 2 seconds left.<\/p>\n Before this win, the only notable thing about the Mustangs this season was that star football player Nasir Rankin<\/b> decided not to play basketball. Matthew Humphrey<\/b>, the former Hales star who played college ball at Oregon, is Morgan Park\u2019s new coach this season. He\u2019s off to a great start. <\/p>\n DePaul recruit Mason Lockett<\/b> had 10 points and eight rebounds for Oswego East (9-2) and Jacsen Tucker<\/b> led the Wolves with 24 points. <\/p>\n Morgan Park will play Brother Rice in the semifinals on Monday. <\/p>\n Fremd used a big third quarter to take control of the Wheeling title game. Illinois State recruit Jordan Williams<\/b> led the Vikings with 26 points, he was 9-for-12 shooting with five rebounds and two assists. Rafael Pinto<\/b> added 13 points.<\/p>\n Deerfield played without 6-9 senior Jake Pollack<\/b>, a Dartmouth recruit. The Warriors knocked off Stevenson without Pollack on Friday and appear to be playing much better overall than they did in the loss to St. Patrick I covered earlier this month. Pollack is out with an ankle injury.<\/p>\n Evan Nagler<\/b> led Deerfield with 14 points.<\/p>\n Waukegan\u2019s Jaali Rico Love (3) dunks the ball over Hersey\u2019s Jake Nawrot (21) during the Elgin Holiday Tournament.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Kirsten Stickney\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Waukegan\u2019s well-known big three of Simereon Carter,<\/b> Jaali Rico Love<\/b> and Carter Newsome<\/b> are the reason the Bulldogs earned a preseason ranking and enjoy a lofty reputation as a dangerous team in the area.<\/p>\n That trio is a lot for any high school team to worry about defending, which leaves room for the talented supporting cast to do a lot of damage. That was the case in No. 19 Waukegan\u2019s 63-55 win against No. 14 Hersey in the Elgin Holiday Tournament championship game on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople don\u2019t know how good the rest of the team is,\u201d Love said. \u201cThey don\u2019t have time to worry about [Trey\u2019Veon Roberts<\/b> and Adrian Serrano<\/b> and Ryan Brown<\/b>] and those guys can be brilliant, and they keep getting better. They can\u2019t stick all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n Love led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds. The uncommitted 6-7 wing is one of the most tantalizing college prospects in the senior class. He isn\u2019t a polished, finished product yet but he shows flashes of his potential every game with a light shooting touch and high athleticism. Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n Perspectives-Leadership\u2019s Morgan Travis (2) uses a ball fake to open the lane for a drive at York\u2019s Jack Tosh Holiday Classic<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Allen Cunningham\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Most high school basketball teams improve during the course of a season. There are only two weeks of practice before the games start, so many squads are just starting to jell when the holiday tournaments roll around.<\/p>\n That is even more the case for Perspectives-Leadership, which has several key transfers in the starting lineup. Lead guards Morgan Travis<\/b> (De La Salle) and Jayden Taylor<\/b> (Fenger) joined the team during the summer.<\/p>\n \u2018\u2018I told the team that we would be better toward the middle and end of the year,\u2019\u2019 Warriors coach Justin Rhymes<\/b> said. \u2018\u2018We have so many transfers and so many new faces. We needed to piece everything together, and it would take a little time. But things are starting to click.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Perspectives opened some eyes with a victory last weekend against Rockford Auburn, then smashed Lyons 63-38 on Saturday at the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic.<\/p>\n Lyons was considered a fringe Super 25 team in the preseason and features one of the top prospects in the sophomore class in 6-6 Grant Smith<\/b>. The victory sends the Warriors into the quarterfinals Monday against Glenbard North. Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n Kenwood survived in overtime to beat host Rich 64-63 in the first quarterfinal on Friday. Damari<\/b> Stephens<\/b> was the hero and finished with 21 points and eight rebounds. Osiris<\/b> Bell<\/b> added 15 points and 5 assists and Prince<\/b> McCord<\/b> had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Johnathan<\/b> Booker<\/b> led the Raptors with 20 points. <\/p>\n Jaylen Dickerson<\/b> (17 points) and Ahmad Lee<\/b> (13 points, 11 rebounds) led Lincoln Park to a 59-46 win against Thornwood. <\/p>\n That sets up an all-Chicago first semifinal of Kenwood vs. Lincoln Park in the Big Dipper, traditionally a tournament solely comprised of south suburban teams. All the south suburban teams have now been eliminated from the championship bracket. Warren and Young won the late quarterfinals. <\/p>\n Yesterday worked out well. Every game I covered was competitive, which is a hard feat to pull off at first round games. Today I\u2019m covering the championship at Elgin and I\u2019ll stop by a couple games at York in the afternoon.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s schedule is full of games, but there aren\u2019t a ton of marquee matchups. I was initially planning to be over at Rich for the 12:30 p.m. quarterfinal between Kenwood and the host Raptors. That should be a fun one. Also, people at Warren tell me that Marion, AR is a very good team and will be a real challenge for the Blue Devils in the final quarterfinal at the Big Dipper. <\/p>\n The best game in the second round over at York should be Perspectives-Leadership against Lyons. <\/p>\n Deerfield knocked off Stevenson last night in the Wheeling semifinals without Jake<\/b> Pollack<\/b>. I haven\u2019t heard why he missed the game but hopefully he will be back for tonight\u2019s championship game against Fremd at 8:45 p.m. UPDATE: Deerfield coach Dan McKendrick says Pollack rolled his ankle against Prospect and will not play tonight. That\u2019s a shame, he was excellent in the loss to St. Patrick I covered a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n Check out Charlie<\/b> Yellen\u2019s<\/b> game-winning shot for Deerfield last night. <\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s high school basketball schedule<\/a><\/p>\n Stop 1:<\/b> York\u2019s Jack Tosh Holiday Classic, Perspectives-Leadership vs. Lyons<\/p>\n Stop 2:<\/b> Elgin Holiday Tournament championship, Waukegan vs. Hersey<\/p>\n Total distance covered so far:<\/b> 304 miles<\/p>\n Events visited:<\/b> 7<\/p>\n Thornton\u2019s Joseph Thomas (10) defends as Lincoln Park\u2019s Ahmad Lee drives toward the basket.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Allen Cunningham\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Lincoln Park senior Jalil<\/b> Amous<\/b> did his homework before his first game at the 52nd Big Dipper Holiday Tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cI watched some of the championship last year between Rich and Homewood-Flossmoor,\u201d Amous said. \u201cIt was packed. We are looking forward to playing in front of the crowds and winning and getting back to where we need to be.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lions, Young and Warren all left the Proviso West Holiday Tournament to play in the 52nd Big Dipper Holiday Tournament at Rich in Richton Park. Lincoln Park debuted on Friday with a 69-48 win against Thornton.<\/p>\n Amous led with 10 points and nine rebounds. Jaylen<\/b> Dickerson<\/b> scored nine of his 14 points in the third quarter as the Lions took control of the game.<\/p>\n Lincoln Park (10-1) opened the season in the Super 25 but fell out after a loss to Hyde Park. Despite the early stumble, the Lions have the depth and talent to win the Big Dipper.<\/p>\n Senior Ahmad<\/b> Lee<\/b> scored 14 points and sophomore Alvin Robinson added 10 points.<\/p>\n Thornton (2-6) was led by two young guards, freshman Dakari<\/b> Nesbitt<\/b> (10 points, four steals, two assists) and sophomore Deandre<\/b> Higgs<\/b> (13 points, five rebounds). Nesbitt is one of the most promising players in the 2029 class and lived up to his hype on Friday, impacting the game with his defense, scoring and point guard skills. <\/p>\n Lincoln Park will face Thornwood in the quarterfinals on Saturday.<\/p>\n Thornwood\u2019s emerging sophomore guards took care of business in the first round of the Big Dipper Holiday Tournament at Rich. Lester<\/b> Watson<\/b> was hot early and Mekhi<\/b> Young<\/b> dominated the third quarter with 12 points to lead the Thunderbirds to a 58-49 win against Phillips. <\/p>\n Watson finished with 16 points and Young scored 17 for Thornwood (11-2). Young\u2019s big third quarter gave the Thunderbirds a 16-point cushion, but the Wildcats (3-8) kept chipping away at the lead and cut it to 55-49 on a three-pointer by freshman Ryan<\/b> Whitt<\/b> with 1:00 remaining. <\/p>\n Thornwood made 3 of 4 free throws from then on to seal the win. The Thunderbirds face the Thornton vs. Lincoln Park winner in the quarterfinals on Saturday. <\/p>\n Whitt, who is strong and appeared to be about 6-4, led Phillips with 13 points and seven rebounds. The freshman also had a big game earlier in the week against Metea Valley, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds.<\/p>\n Fans that have been watching the high school basketball scores closely this year are aware that Unity Christian, a private school in South Holland with 114 students, is no pushover. <\/p>\n But it is unlikely anyone expected the Phoenix to take No. 18 Kenwood to the limit in the first round of Rich\u2019s Big Dipper Holiday Tournament <\/p>\n Unity Christian led by two points with 1:19 left but missed three of its four free throws from then on and Kenwood held on to win 54-51. The Phoenix had a chance to tie at the buzzer but missed a long three. <\/p>\n Osiris<\/b> Bell<\/b> led the Broncos (8-1) with 22 points and Damari<\/b> Stephens<\/b> added 12. <\/p>\n \u201cI told the kids not to hang their heads,\u201d Unity coach Donovan O\u2019Neil said. \u201cTechnically, we are not supposed to be here. To almost beat Kenwood is huge. I\u2019m proud of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Vincent<\/b> Allen<\/b> led Unity (7-5) with 20 points. The Phoenix lost to eventual state champion Hope Academy in the Class 1A sectional final last season. <\/p>\n \u201cI am looking long term,\u201d O\u2019Neil said. \u201cI want to get downstate. We were so close last year and we just kind of cowered in the moment because we weren\u2019t ready for it. Environments like this will get us prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n Kenwood will face the host Raptors in the quarterfinals on Saturday. <\/p>\n The second wave of holiday tournaments start up today as Hinsdale Central, York and the Big Dipper all get going. I\u2019m going to start over at the Big Dipper. Thornton vs. Lincoln Park at 1:30 is the game I\u2019m featuring in the newspaper but I\u2019m also interested in Thornwood vs. Phillips at noon. <\/p>\n Then I\u2019ll be over at York in the late afternoon and evening. Oswego vs. Downers Grove South at 7:30 should be one of the best first round games of the tournament. <\/p>\n There is one big title game today, Benet vs. Naperville North at Jacobs. The Redwings are heavy favorites, but Naperville North has sprung upsets in the last two rounds. <\/p>\n Wheeling and Elgin play semifinals today. It is Stevenson vs. Deerfield and Glenbrook North vs. Fremd at Wheeling. I\u2019m planning on covering that championship game tomorrow night. Glenbrook North has been a major surprise so far this season. Stevenson\u2019s Rocco Pagliocca<\/b> and Donny Williams<\/b> are one of the area\u2019s underrated guard duos. <\/p>\n The Elgin semifinals feature Sycamore vs. Waukegan and Shepard vs. Hersey. <\/p>\n Friday\u2019s high school basketball schedule<\/a><\/p>\n Stop 1:<\/b> Big Dipper Holiday Tournament at Rich<\/p>\n Stop 2:<\/b> Jack Tosh Holiday Tournament at York<\/p>\n Total distance covered so far:<\/b> 213 miles<\/p>\n Events visited:<\/b> 5<\/p>\n No. 7 Benet has lived up to expectations so far and had no trouble in the semifinals, knocking off Barrington 72-43 in a running-clock victory on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Jayden Wright and Colin Stack each scored 12 points in limited minutes, and Aidan Renicker added 11 off the bench for the Redwings.<\/p>\n Benet (12-1) jumped out to a quick lead against Barrington (6-5) and went to the bench often.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you play this many games in a short period, you have to test your depth,\u201d Redwings coach Gene Heidkamp said. \u201cWe are going to need some of the guys later in the season and they have to play minutes that matter to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n While Benet was expected to reach the championship game, its opponent, Naperville North, is a surprise. The Huskies handed Geneva its first loss of the season in a 56-45 victory on Tuesday.<\/p>\n The Huskies (12-2) returned all five starters from last season, are unselfish and have multiple scoring threats. But 6-3 senior Will Harvey adds another dimension to the team.<\/p>\n Harvey is a no frills type player. He doesn\u2019t pose with the ball or take unnecessary dribbles in the post. He\u2019s instantly moving the ball on to a teammate.<\/p>\n Naperville North\u2019s Will Harvey (22) goes to the basket asked against Geneva during the Hinkle Holiday Classic semis at Jacobs.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Kirsten Stickney\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201c[Harvey] is a tough kid,\u201d Naperville North coach Gene Nolan said. \u201cHe loves to rebound. Even when he can\u2019t get it himself, he gets his hands on it for tap outs to extend a possession for us. He did a great job with that in the second half.\u201d<\/p>\n Harvey played much taller than his height against the Vikings and finished with four points and 10 rebounds.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand my role,\u201d Harvey said. \u201cIt\u2019s to help the big-game potential guys do well. Carson [Loughlin], Miles [Okyne], Max [Steele], Jack [Zitko]. My job is to feed them the ball in good spots. That\u2019s going to benefit us overall.\u201d<\/p>\n Okyne led the Huskies with 18 points and seven rebounds. Zitko scored 15 and Loughlin had 12 points and 10 rebounds.<\/p>\n \u201cWe may have been overlooked heading into the tournament,\u201d Okyne said. \u201cIt happens. We are happy we got the opportunity to come out here and show people what we are about. We\u2019ve been on a run and shooting really well. That wasn\u2019t the case at the start of the season, so things have evened out.\u201d<\/p>\n Nathan Palmer led Geneva (10-1) with 16 points and freshman Cody Rader scored 12 off the bench.<\/p>\n Benet and Naperville North will play for the tournament championship on Saturday at 7:30.<\/p>\n Unplanned stop at the Elgin Holiday Tournament. A great gym I haven\u2019t been to in way too long. <\/p>\n Quarterfinal between Waukegan and Antioch coming up. pic.twitter.com\/er5pSt81wC<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Michael O’Brien (@michaelsobrien) December 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n Made it to Marengo. Drove past a strange Wild West Town. It\u2019s a bigger gym than I expected. Beautiful high school. <\/p>\n Fenton leads Marian Central 33-14. Fenton sophomore Titus White caught my eye in the first half. pic.twitter.com\/52WUth08Z5<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Michael O’Brien (@michaelsobrien) December 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n Time to add some miles to the total. I\u2019ll be out in Marengo this afternoon. It is a tournament I\u2019ve never visited before that has some great history. Then I\u2019ll head over to Jacobs to check out the semifinals. It will be my first look this season at undefeated Geneva.<\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s high school basketball schedule<\/a><\/p>\n Stop 1:<\/b> 75th Annual EC Nichols Holiday Tournament in Marengo for Marian Catholic vs. Fenton or Rochelle vs. Glenbard South<\/p>\n Stop 2:<\/b> Hinkle Holiday Classic semfinals at Jacobs, Benet vs. Barrington and Geneva vs. Naperville North<\/p>\n Total distance covered so far:<\/b> 63 miles<\/p>\n Events visited:<\/b> 2<\/p>\n Curie will head to Pontiac undefeated after knocking off St. Ignatius 42-20 on Monday at Young. This wasn\u2019t a holiday tournament game, but it was part of a new Chicago Public Schools\u2019 Holiday Shootout. <\/p>\n With the score tied in the final seconds, Oliver waited for his moment and then struck with deadly precision, draining a perfect turnaround jumper to win the game with two St. Ignatius defenders in his face.<\/p>\n \u201cThey said if help came to make the right play,\u201d Oliver said. \u201cI think I made the right play. I was a little bit selfish, but it went in at least. [That\u2019s my] first ever game winner. It felt a little bit better [than I expected].\u201d<\/p>\n Read more about it here.<\/a><\/p>\n Geneva is into the semifinals at the Hinkle Holiday Classic after knocking off Lakes 59-52 in in overtime. The Vikings will face Naperville North. The other semifinal is Benet vs. Barrington. <\/p>\n Check out Gabe Jensen\u2019s shot that sent the game to overtime.<\/p>\n Naperville North beat Cary-Grove 65-48 in the quarterfinals of Jacobs\u2019 Hinkle Holiday Classic. It was the first score of the holiday tournament that really surprised me.<\/p>\n Cary-Grove entered the game at 9-1 with a win against Waukegan. Naperville North was 10-2 with losses to St. Patrick and Stevenson. <\/p>\n The Huskies returned all five starters from last season\u2019s 17-win team and has started the season well. Naperville North didn\u2019t have a major win, but clearly it has been overlooked. So maybe this wasn\u2019t an upset as much as a team that deserved more attention making sure that it received some.<\/p>\n I watched this game on YouTube. Jacobs\u2019 Hinkle Holiday Classic broadcasts every game for free. It\u2019s a high-quality production with replays and announcers and multiple cameras.<\/p>\n Carson Loughlin<\/b> led the Huskies with 20 points. Jack Zito<\/b> scored 14 and Max Steele<\/b> had 12. Adam Bauer<\/b> scored 13 for Cary-Grove.<\/p>\n Up next for Naperville North is the Geneva-Lakes winner in the semifinals.<\/p>\n St. Viator\u2019s Dawson Charles (2) throws down an early dunk during the Lions\u2019 victory over Buffalo Grove.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Allen Cunningham\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Dawson Charles<\/b> produced his own mini highlight film in the first three minutes of St. Viator\u2019s 61-50 win against Buffalo Grove with a three-pointer, a slam dunk and a steal and dunk.<\/p>\n Charles, a 6-2 junior guard, scored a career-high 27 and had 20 points in the first half.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt really good,\u201d Charles said. \u201cWe all came out with a lot of intensity, especially on defense. We got stops and easy buckets. This group is so much fun. It\u2019s a great group of kids and we all get hyped.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lions (7-3) led 34-19 at halftime but Buffalo Grove roared back, cutting the deficit to 42-41 on Ethan Fajardo\u2019s<\/b> layup to close the third quarter.<\/p>\n Alex Sirbu<\/b>, a 6-9 junior, had 24 points and 15 rebounds for the Bison (5-6). He was 10 of 13 shooting and tied the game at 50 with a post move with 2:47 left. Senior Isaiah McKenny<\/b> responded with a three-pointer for St. Viator. That ignited an 11-0 run to close the game for the Lions.<\/p>\n Sophomore Jacob Only<\/b> scored 11 points for St. Viator and McKenny finished with 12. Buffalo Grove had an impressive sophomore as well. Edwin Karnauchovas<\/b>, a 6-0 guard, finished with 12 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals.<\/p>\n St. Viator and Stevenson will face off in the Wheeling quarterfinals on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Stevenson\u2019s Donny Williams (14) drives to the basket against Wauconda at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Allen Cunningham\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s always good to get out early on the first full day of holiday tournament action, but that doesn\u2019t always mean the basketball is worthwhile. Morning games are tough and first games aren\u2019t always competitive. <\/p>\n Monday morning at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic<\/b> was a major success. I saw two good games loaded with interesting young players. <\/p>\n Stevenson knocked off Wauconda 63-47 in the opener. Both teams started hot and knocked down a combined eight three-pointers in the first quarter. The Patriots have two of the area\u2019s best guards in Donny Williams<\/b> (23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals) and Rocco Pagliocca<\/b> (12 points).<\/p>\n “[Wauconda] plays a really fast-paced game so that was fun,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThat was a nice way to start off the tournament, we loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n Coach Will Benson has a relatively inexperienced group around those two senior guards. Quinton Frakes<\/b>, a 6-5 junior, stepped up with 10 points and 11 rebounds. <\/p>\n Stevenson (8-2) led 44-41 after three quarters and took control early in the fourth quarter after a three by Pagliocca and a bucket and two free throws from junior Cohen<\/b> Ottaviano<\/b>.<\/p>\n Wauconda (6-3) was led by 6-6 junior Austin Carlsen<\/b> with 18 points and six rebounds. He\u2019s an active, talented player and a name to remember in the junior class. Senior Tony Salemi<\/b> added 15 points. <\/p>\n Stevenson has Super 25 potential and could make a deep run in the holiday tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cWe started off a little slow this season, getting to know one another and finding out what our strengths were,\u201d Pagliocca said. \u201cDonny and I have tried to set a good example to show what we need to do to be a successful team.\u201d <\/p>\n The bracket for this season\u2019s Wheeling Hardwood Classic hanging outside the gym.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Michael O\u2019Brien\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Michael O\u2019Brien and Joe Henricksen break down the brackets at Pontiac, York, the Big Dipper, Centralia, Pekin, Hinsdale Central, Wheeling, Elgin, Plano, DeKalb and more.<\/p>\n Stop 1: <\/b>Wheeling Hardwood Classic for two games, Stevenson vs. Wauconda at 9 a.m. and St. Viator vs. Buffalo Grove at 10:30 a.m.<\/p>\n Stop 2:<\/b> Merry Madness Holiday Shootout at Young for Curie vs. St. Ignatius at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n Total distance covered so far:<\/b> 0, this is the first day.<\/p>\n Events visited:<\/b> 0<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s full high school basketball schedule<\/a><\/p>\n This week\u2019s new Super 25 high school basketball rankings<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\nPontiac: Danny Houlihan steps up in Christopher Kirkpatrick\u2019s absence, leads New Trier into quarterfinals<\/h3>\n
Pontiac: DePaul Prep routs St. Charles North<\/h3>\n
Pontiac: Joliet West holds on to beat Oak Park in the first round<\/h3>\n
A look at Monday\u2019s schedule<\/h3>\n
Sunday, Dec. 28<\/h3>\n
Lincoln Williams leads the Kays to a championship in the 75th Kankakee Holiday Tournament<\/h3>\n
![\"Kankakee's](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/3daaea8\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2000x1300+0+0\/resize\/840x546!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F86%2F8a%2F72350a574f22872c7f5da198f4ce%2Fob-cst-122925-7003.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/picture>\nA look at Sunday\u2019s schedule<\/h3>\n
Saturday, Dec. 27<\/h3>\n
Hinsdale Central: Morgan Park upsets Oswego East, advances to semifinals<\/h3>\n
Wheeling: Jordan Williams scores 26 as Fremd beats Deerfield for the championship<\/h3>\n
Waukegan knocks off undefeated Hersey to three-peat as Elgin Holiday Tournament champs<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Waukegan's](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/46661f0\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/4481x2989+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F8b%2Fd8%2F6607aac641168040c8494c2abd75%2Fob-cst-122825-003.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/picture>\nYork: Perspectives-Leadership\u2019s talented transfers start to jell in dominant win against Lyons<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Perspectives-Leadership's](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/925ae81\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2000x1200+0+0\/resize\/840x504!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc7%2F86%2F41153139421ba9f47b02e3f6a7cc%2Fob-cst-122825-7003.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/picture>\nBig Dipper: Kenwood, Lincoln Park advance to semis and all the south suburban teams are eliminated<\/h3>\n
A look at Saturday\u2019s schedule<\/h3>\n
Friday, Dec. 26<\/h3>\n
Deep, talented Lincoln Park knocks off Thornton in Big Dipper debut<\/h3>\n
![\"Thornton's](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/ef8b7a7\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2000x1200+0+0\/resize\/840x504!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc2%2Faa%2F0a1624f04b26b2097af2c5440515%2Fob-cst-122725-7005.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/picture>\nBig Dipper: Underclassmen sparkle in Thornwood\u2019s first-round win against Phillips<\/h3>\n
Big Dipper: Kenwood holds off an upset bid from tiny, unknown Unity Christian<\/h3>\n
A look at Friday\u2019s schedule<\/h3>\n
Tuesday, Dec. 23<\/h3>\n
Benet rolls past Barrington, Naperville North beats undefeated Geneva in the Hinkle Holiday Classic semis<\/h3>\n
![\"Naperville](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/06d8720\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5482x3657+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3e%2F06%2F6efa2ff74478b63a60e4f511e729%2Fob-cst-122425-009.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/picture>\n\n
\n
Monday, Dec. 2<\/b><\/h3>\n
Justin Oliver\u2019s heroics beat St. Ignatius<\/h3>\n
Gabe Jensen\u2019s wild three helps Geneva beat Lakes<\/b><\/h3>\n
Upset at Jacobs? Naperville North knocks off Cary-Grove in the quarterfinals<\/h3>\n
St. Viator\u2019s young team holds off Buffalo Grove\u2019s comeback attempt in the first round at Wheeling<\/h3>\n
![\"St.](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/d60a98b\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2000x1200+0+0\/resize\/840x504!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F86%2F1e%2Fc158c1ea4d79a2e5306e2ec7467d%2Fob-cst-122325-8007.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/picture>\nVeteran guards Donny Williams, Rocco Pagliocca lead Stevenson past Wauconda in a fast-paced opener at Wheeling<\/h3>\n
![\"Stevenson's](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/c3ae62c\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2000x1300+0+0\/resize\/840x546!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F45%2Faa%2Fbda74ce8410ab9ef650aa12a823e%2Fob-cst-122325-7001.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/picture>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/1b9ed95\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/4032x3024+0+0\/resize\/840x630!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F91%2Fc3%2Fae0f72094051991f9e97464b1254%2Fimg-1636.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/picture>\nNo Shot Clock Holiday Tournament preview episode<\/h3>\n
Itinerary for Dec. 22<\/h3>\n