In a game heard on WHOW, WEZC and at dewittdailynews.com, the Clinton Maroons overcame an eight-point deficit in the third quarter and rallied to a 59-56 win over Monticello from the Holiday Hoopla Wednesday afternoon to advance to the tournament championship on Thursday night.
Monticello led 24-23 at halftime and came out on a 12-5 run in the first 3:24 of the third. Trey Welter hit three three-pointers and Rai Colbert had a three during the run but the Maroons closed out the final 3:40 on an 11-3 run to restore its deficit to one and trailed 41-40 going to the fourth.
Dawson Graves scored seven of his team-high 17 points in the third quarter.
The Sages would take their final lead of the game on a Colbert layup to go up 48-47 with 5:03 left but Graves answered like he did so often Wednesday night and put Clinton up for good with a step-back jumper at the 3:42 mark of the fourth to go up 49-48.
The Maroons sank 8-of-10 free throws down the stretch to keep the Sages at arms length and wrap up the victory to advance to its first Holiday Hoopla Championship.
Graves finished with 17 points to lead the Maroons. He earned the Serv Pro of Piatt/DeWitt Counties Player of the Game.
Brooks Cluver added 15 points and Mason Walker scored 11 points.
Welter led all scorers with 22 points but fouled out on a disgraceful call with 1:24 left that should have been assessed to Colbert but instead was issued to Welter who was not near the play.
Despite fouling out, Welter was the Sages ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt Counties Player of the Game.
Ike Young grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds to lead Monticello.
Monticello held the edge in nearly every statistical category Wednesday. The Sages shot 45.5 percent to the Maroons 40 percent. Monticello outrebounded Clinton 33-24. The Sages made nine three-pointers to the Maroons three.
The Maroons did shoot 18-for-23 from the foul line to the Sages 7-for-12.
But 21 Monticello turnovers led to 27 points for Clinton.
The Maroons will go for the tournament championship at 7:30 pm Thursday night. Hear the action on 92.3 FM/106.5 FM WHOW and on all the WHOW digital platforms.
For the Sages, they play in the third place game of the tournament for the first time since before COVID and the first time in the Sievers Center era. Game is 3:30 pm Thursday afternoon. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.
