03/12/2026
BY JACK BULLOCK
CHAMPAIGN - A quick look at the final score of the Goreville victory over Lawrenceville won't realize the dominating performance put on by the Blackcats.

Coach Todd Tripp's club led from start to finish, leading by as many as 19-points, before finishing off the state semifinal 55-47 win to advance to their first state championship game in boy's basketball.

Defense was the difference, as it has been in the previous seasons of Blackcats basketball.

The Blackcats (34-4) held Lawrenceville to just 34 percent shooting overall and a rocky 4-of-20 from the 3-point line as Goreville is now a win away from its first boy's basketball state championship.

The school has state titles in boy's baseball and girl's softball and a win in the title game on Saturday will add to the sports legacy while tying the program record for most wins with 35, set in 2019-20.

It was a season that Goreville reached the state finals in Peoria, only to be sent home after the state shutdown due to the Covid19 virus.

They will face Chicago Marshall Saturday.

The Commandos ripped Lanark-Eastland, 66-38 in the second semifinal.

Junior guard Nick King KO'ed Lawrenceville with 20-points, including an early 3-pointer that fueled an early run.

Senior Garrett Church continued his hot streak in the postseason, nailing down three 3-point shots for nine-points.

Coach Tripp got other offensive production with eight-points each from senior Tommy King and freshman Braden Compton.

“Our confidence is through the roof, ever since Casey-Westfield, we played defense there. We just pumped it up,” said Nick King. “We all trust each other. We're all great friends off the court. Our confidence has just skyrocketed.”

Lawrenceville didn't fire Thursday morning, losing for just the third time this season but for the second time to Goreville.

The Blackcats won the previous encounter February 7th at the Benton Shootout, 50-45.

Thursday morning's contest wasn't nearly as close.

Senior Jayden Goff led Lawrenceville with 16-points and senior Noah Wilson finished with 11.

Senior guard Zander Cessna added nine-points in the loss.

“We knew that they (Goreville) play really good man-to-man defense and they make you feel uncomfortable by how hard they play,” said Lawrenceville head coach Tad Shick. “They remind you of a Teutopolis team that we had to always go through at the 2A level.”

The Blackcats led 9-0 in the opening minutes, thanks to a defense that forced Lawrenceville into three turnovers and 0-for-5 shooting in the first 4:12 of play.

King hit the first of three first quarter 3-point shots by Goreville, with Church and reserve Dylan Tripp all canning long range shots.

Goff scored all seven of the first quarter points for Lawrenceville but, after the Tripp trey to close the scoring, the Indians trailed 15-7.

Cessna and Wilson each hit long shots to help close the gap by halftime.

The second quarter was the best for Lawrenceville, with a Cessna drive finishing the scoring at 24-19 Goreville at halftime.

“We missed some easy ones (shots) early. We've been down a lot few times this year at halftime in games and these guys have fought back,” said Coach Shick. “Even though we were down seven, eight or nine points early, we didn't' change much. We tried to stay patient because we've been there before. But Goreville, they're a heck of a team and they're here for a reason. We just couldn't stop them.”

The third quarter was a train wreck offensively for the Tribe.

Coach Tad Shick's club hit just 1-of-9 nine shots, added three more turnovers and were outscored 12-5 to trail 36-24 heading to the fourth quarter.

Despite picking up his third foul in the early part of the second half, King responded by scoring twice at the basket.

His second drive down the baseline where he switched to his left hand resulted in a conventional three-point play and a 29-19 lead at the 5:33 mark of the third quarter.

King nailed his second 3-pointer of the night which was followed by two free throws each from senior Zech Green and Compton

It was no better in the early part of the fourth quarter for Lawrenceville.

Goreville took their largest lead with a 7-0 run.

Church added a 3-pointer from the left corner before King added 2-of-2 from the line and a back door layup which made it 43-24.

“I think with this team they're so athletic. They move. Their quickness, the whole quickness of this team is really good,” said Coach Todd Tripp. “When you mix the quickness, the smarts, the guts. They (Lawrenceville) like to drive it more than they like to shoot it (outside) and that's what we were keying on.”

The game got closer late as Lawrenceville managed to make the final score more presentable.

They got to the foul line in the fourth quarter and hit 9-of-12 but they also sent the Blackcats to the stripe.

“I really liked how we played in the fourth quarter late. I thought we showed a lot of heart,” said Coach Shick. “The game was kind of out of hand but these guys didn't quit playing.”

Goreville made 12-of-18 to secure the victory.

Lawrenceville ended up 15-of-44 overall shooting and added 10-turnovers.

The Blackcats closed the book on their first semifinal state finals victory with a 16-of-34 effort, 6-of-14 from the arc.

“We, in our locker room, thought we could be pretty good. I don't know if everyone thought that after what we lost last year,” said Coach Tripp. “We thought we were going to be good but, man, of all the years to be good we had to go through all of these teams. There are so many good teams in the South. So many down there could be up here right now, if the ball bounces this way or that way. They (the teams) were good and they made us earn it to get up here.”

“It's tough to play in a third and fourth place game. You're trying so hard to get to a championship game. We were in that situation at the Effingham/T-Town tournament where the kids really wanted to win that title. We got beat and shoved into the third place game. These kids came out against a pretty good Champaign Centennial team and played one of the best games they played all year long,” said Coach Shick.