Sunday I went out to Rock Valley for the Division II Regional Semifinals. Over the years the Semifinals and Finals were held at Waubonsee College prior to Rock Valley moving from Division III to Division II.
Region IV sends two teams in Division II to the National Tournament at Danville Area Community College. Last season Milwaukee Area Technical College and South Suburban represented Region IV, and South Suburban completed an undefeated 33-0 season.
How would things fare this time?
Here's a recap of the Regional Semifinals:
Waubonsee 70 South Suburban 59: Chiefs Avenge Last Season's Regional Final Loss to Dethrone Defending Champs
There will be a new Division II champion this season. The Chiefs nearly upset the Bulldogs last season, and this time around they got the job done. The Bulldogs got off to an early 15-9 advantage thanks to Julius Byrd (17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks), but Jaylyn Kelley (20 points, 4/8 3-pt., 3 assists, 3 steals) caught fire. Then Oswego graduate Joey Niesman (23 points, 4/11 3-pt., 5 rebounds, 4 steals) took over the second half, and the Chiefs didn't look back. 6-10 center Brice Langford had 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks for the Chiefs. Jalen Houston had 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals for the Bulldogs, and Nakyel Shelton had 11 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Bryant & Stratton 82 Prairie State 71: Julian Hodges Erupts in the First Half to Lead Bobcats Past Pioneers
No one had a hotter stretch in this game then Bryant & Stratton's Julian Hodges. 15 of his 16 points came on 5 straight made threes midway through the first half. The Pioneers were unable to recover after that. Point guard Elijah Pickens, a Curie grad, led the Bobcats with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists. Karter Thomas had 13 points and 8 rebounds, and Malik Abdul-Wahid had 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks for the Bobcats. Pioneers point guard Jeremiah Johnson had 18 points and 5 rebounds. Morgan Rashed (5 rebounds, 7 assists) and Donovan Brown each had 14 points, and Dekari Graham had 13 points for the Pioneers.
Olive Harvey 84 Moraine Valley 81: Panthers Rally from 14 Down Late in the First Half; Hang On to Beat Cyclones
It was a tale of two halves, and it was the best game of the day. The Cyclones took a 41-31 lead at halftime, but the Panthers went on a 17-4 run to start the second half and got their second win of the season against the Cyclones. Jemel Jones, an Eisenhower grad, led the Panthers with 26 points, 5 boards, and 3 assists. Bryce Baez (14 points) and Tyrell Isom (13 points) had 6 boards and 3 assists each for the Panthers. Enari Thomas led the Cyclones with 24 points. Kobe Adams had 19 points and 5 rebounds, and Richards graduate Anthony Taylor had 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks for the Cyclones.
Milwaukee Area Technical College 78 Rock Valley 64: Stormers Avenge First Meeting Home Upset to Golden Eagles in Style
Back on Valentine's Day, the Golden Eagles went into Milwaukee and stunned the Stormers. Mason Johnson, Mikale Stevenson, and company made sure to return the favor and then some. The Golden Eagles led by 1 at the half, but the Stormers outscored the Golden Eagles 40-25 in the second half. Johnson had 21 points (9/13 FG, 9 rebounds) including a monster dunk off a rebound. Mikale Stevenson also had 21 points with 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals. Shelton Williams-Dryden had 13 points and 5 rebounds for the Stormers. George Williams led the Golden Eagles with 16 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Blessing Nwotite had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals for the Golden Eagles. Antonio Leavy had 13 points and 8 rebounds and Jordan Majeed had 10 points and 4 assists.
Comments