BETHALTO – Jaquan Adams had a 22-point, six-rebound night for Civic Memorial Friday, but Breese Central had three players in double figures as the top-seeded Cougars eliminated the Eagles 44-43 in the IHSA Class 3A Civic Memorial Regional final.
Civic Memorial head boys basketball coach Doug Carey formulated a nearly magical game plan, with a ball-control offense and a tight defense against the Cougars.
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The Cougars advanced to next week's Benton Sectional, where they will take on Centralia, who defeated Murphysboro 47-27 in the final of the Orphans' own regional Friday, at 7 p.m. Wednesday; the winner of that game meets the winner of Tuesday's Benton-Cahokia semifinal game for the sectional title and a trip to the Springfield Super-Sectional at Prairie Capital Convention Center at 7 p.m. March 10.
“It was a great high school basketball game,” Carey said. “Fans got their money’s worth. The lead changed hands several times. Jaquan Adams dominated the game. He missed seven minutes of the game because of foul trouble, but he had 22 points while he was in there. He is a junior and if he gets in the weight room in the spring and summer and adds 15 pounds, he will be a monster in the (Mississippi) Valley next year.”
Carey said Breese Central, who moved up from Class 2A to Class 3A this season, was a formidable opponent with 20-plus wins and a great basketball tradition.
“They have a very seasoned team,” he said. “They have some great shooting guards and a 6-8 person inside. We work really hard on defense in practice and it paid tonight."
Carey said he is optimistic about the Eagles’ future with three starters and a player off the bench returning.
"It was a great season overall," he said. "We got a piece of the conference championship and never lost more than two games in a row."
