March. Basketball tournament season. And it was a good one!
The month started out with a couple really exciting regional games.
Auburn’s Yahmir Muhammad (0) goes up for a shot while surrounded by East’s Laquavien Taber (25), Malachi Luster (10) and Chris Burnell (0) on Wednesday, March 1, 2017, during the Class 4A boys basketball regional semifinal at Hononegah High School in Rockton. East went on to win 62-58. [MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM STAFF] ©2017
Hononegah’s Josh Donaldson dunks on a breakaway Friday, March 3, 2017, during the Class 4A boys basketball regional championship at Hononegah High School in Rockton. Hononegah went on to win 67-48. [MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM STAFF] ©2017
Hononegah’s Kameron Kolberg (14) is fouled by East’s Charles Burnell (13) as he pushes up to the basket Friday, March 3, 2017, during the Class 4A boys basketball regional championship at Hononegah High School in Rockton. Hononegah went on to win 67-48. [MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM STAFF] ©2017
Hononegah’s Jackson Doyle (25) leads his team in a chant Friday, March 3, 2017, after defeating East 67-48 in the Class 4A boys basketball regional championship at Hononegah High School in Rockton. [MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM STAFF] ©2017
And then we didn’t.
Our basketball season crashed to a halt as three of the four teams lost on Tuesday night in sectional and supersectional matchups. The fourth team followed suit on Wednesday.
They were all heartbreaking games that went right to the wire.
On Tuesday, I had two games at two locations. I started out covering Belvidere in their sectional matchup against Sycamore. I was only able to stay a quarter since we were prioritizing coverage of the team at the supersectional. I wish I could have been there at the end. The game was decided with 0.1 seconds left on the clock.
Sycamore’s Jack Mizgalski (11) and Belvidere’s Joey Hernandez (23) dive after a loose ball Tuesday, March 7, 2017, during the Class 3A sectional semifinal at Genoa-Kingston High School in Genoa. Sycamore went on to win 36-35. [MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM STAFF] ©2017
Rockford Christian’s Matt Glogowski (32) is fouled by Bishop McNamara’s Tevin Watson (33) on his way to the net Tuesday, March 7, 2017, during the Class 2A supersectional championship at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center in DeKalb. Bishop McNamara went on to win 79-75 in double overtime. [MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM STAFF] ©2017
The Rockford Christian bench lowers their heads as time winds down Tuesday, March 7, 2017, during the Class 2A supersectional championship at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center in DeKalb. Bishop McNamara went on to win 79-75 in double overtime. [MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM STAFF] ©2017
Rockford Christian’s Luke Joiner (22) tries to keep Malik Marshall’s (13) chin up Tuesday, March 7, 2017, after losing in double overtime to Bishop McNamara 79-75 in the Class 2A supersectional championship at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center in DeKalb. [MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM STAFF] ©2017
Algonquin Jacobs’ Mason Materna (22) tries to block a shot by Hononegah’s Kameron Kolberg (14) on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, during the Class 4A sectional semifinal at the Elgin High School. Algonquin Jacobs went on to win 60-55. [MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM STAFF] ©2017
Hononegah’s Spencer Murdock (55) comforts Jackson Doyle (25) as they walk off the court Wednesday, March 8, 2017, after losing to Algonquin Jacobs 60-55 in the Class 4A sectional semifinal at the Elgin High School. [MAX GERSH/RRSTAR.COM STAFF] ©2017