>> Normal U-High Falls Just Short In Class 2A State Final

Brandon Book scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Nick Grapperhaus made four free throws to help Breese Central hold off Normal University, 53-47, to win the IHSA Class 2A boys basketball championship.

Book led a second-half charge by the Cougars that saw them erase a 5-point halftime deficit with a 22-9 run throughout the third quarter and into the fourth. Trailing 22-17 at half, Book scored 13 of his team's points in the run, leaving Breese Central up 39-31 midway through the final period.

Austin Rickhoff scored seven points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Grapperhaus finished with seven points and four rebounds for the Cougars (34-1).

Mitch Stycznski scored 10 to lead Normal University (28-5). Kyle Morris chipped in nine points, Nick Schroeder eight and Keita Bates-Diop ended with seven points and nine rebounds.

>> Illini Central Takes 3rd In Class A State Final

Jared Entwhistle scored 15 points and Duncan McClure added 14 as Mason City Illini Central battled back from 12 points down to beat North Shore Country Day, 51-48, in the Class 1A third-place game at the IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals at Carver Arena on Saturday.

Entwhistle, McClure and Jordan Bradshaw (12 points and 10 rebounds) led the Cougars (18-13) in overcoming a 9-point halftime deficit by outrebounding the Raiders (19-6) 22-10 in the second half.

North Shore Country Day's Austin Curren scored 15 points and Riley Hall and Jake Bruce both scored 10 to lead the Raiders in scoring. Both Curren and Hall pulled down nine rebounds for the Raiders.

It's the first boys basketball trophy for the Springfield-area school that began the season 3-10.