66th Annual EC Nichols Holiday Classic in Marengo
Rochelle 78 Chicago Carver 77 (OT)
Sycamore 57 Richmond-Burton 49 (OT)
Rockford Christian 63 Antioch 53
Crystal Lake Central 50 Westminster 47
Elgin 76 Woodstock North 45
Woodstock 72 Harvest Christian 49
Marengo 71 Round Lake 53
North Boone 65 Wauconda 54
West Carroll Tournanent: AFC 69 Warren 61
**5th Place Game
**Jamey Talley (AFC): 19 pts
East Dubuque 57 Galena 45
**Championship Game
Erie 49 Stockton 39
Scales Mound 54 West Carroll 37
Rockford Auburn 51 Normal 45
Mendota 81 Amboy 49 (Hall Tournament)
Rockford Boylan 76 Prairie Ridge 51 (Jacobs Tournament)
Normal West 41 Ottawa 38
Girls High School Basketball
Rockford Lutheran 55 Oregon 14 (5-7)
Sterling Shootout: Hononegah 71 Freeport 21
Hononegah 58 Peoria Richwoods 46
Naperville Central 79 Freeport 39
Naperville Central 56 Sterling 39
Moline 54 Sterling 36
Ottawa Tournament: Lasalle-Peru 76 Rockford East 60
Yorkville 72 Rockford East 52
Lincoln-Way West 58 Morris 31
Kaneland 44 Geneseo 32
Ottawa 56 Pontiac 54
Geneseo 51 Sandwich 26
Byron 62 Rock Falls 48
**Paige Holloway (Byron): 25 pts
Winebago 60 Dixon 58
Wrestling
Metamora Tournament
1) Byron: 227 pts
2) Leroy: 182.5 pts
3) Peoria Notre Dame: 143.5 pts
**Byron (1st Place): Brady Wilsie (126), Nolan Baker (132), Justin Martinez (152)
Jacob Elsbury (182), McCoy Ziel (220)
Stillman Valley Tournament
1) Mercer County: 166 pts
2) Oregon: 153 pts
3) Marengo: 142 pts
5) Stillman Valley: 87 pts
14) Winnebago: 14 pts
**Oregon (1st Place): Caleb Mennen (170), John Ghibellini (182), Anthony Marchetti (220)
Matthew Crandall (285)
**Stillman Valley (1st Place): Jaren Van Vleet (120) and Sam Durfey (145)
Erie Tournament
1) Sherrard: 179.5 pts
2) Erie-Prophetstown: 158 pts
3) Orion: 155.5 pts
7) Polo: 120 pts (Tie)
13) AFC: 23.5 pts
**Polo: (1st Place): Noah Paul (106) and Ethan Cain (195)
Boys Bowling
Freeport Tournament (4 Seasons Lanes) (Varsity)
1) Harlem: 5,258
2) Freeport: 5,151 (107 Pins)
3) Stevenson: 5,123 (135 Pins)
4) Oregon: 5,047 (211 Pins)
13) Rochelle: 4,110 (1,148 Pins) (17 Schools)
**Oregon: 1st Place Derek Poole 1,189 Series
9th Place: AJ Nordman 1,058
**Rochelle: Nathan Keys 921 Series
JV Standings
1) Harlem: 4,507
2) Lake Zurich: 4.360 (147 Pins)
8) Oregon: 3,740
11) Rochelle: 3,509
**Rochelle: Dakota Ames 780 Series
Girls Bowling
Big Northern Tournament (Forest Hills Lanes in Rockford)
1) Oregon: 5,490
2) Dixon: 5,191 (299 Pins)
3) Marengo: 5,079 (411 Pins)
**Oregon: 2) Ali Scheidecker 1,270 Series
5) Caitlyn Kaltenbrun 1,083 Series
6) Abi Scheidecker 1,067 Series
College Basketball
DEKALB, Ill. – Sophomore Marin Maric tied his career-high with 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team claimed a 78-75 double overtime victory over Florida International on Saturday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center. The contest between the Huskies and Panthers featured 13 ties and 15 lead changes.
Senior Chuks Iroegbu sparked the Huskies off the bench with 15 points, junior Aaric Armstead added 13 and senior Travon Baker chipped in 12 points.
NIU (8-2) led by three in the final seconds of regulation, only to see Florida International (4-7) hit a three to send the game to overtime, the Panthers then led by two in the final moments of the first overtime before a basket by Baker sent the game to a second extra period where the Huskies finally outlasted the Panthers.
“It was a hard-fought game by both teams,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “(FIU) is well-coached, they played hard. I think both teams probably thought they won the game. We thought we had it in regulation and they made a NBA three, they probably thought they had it in the first overtime.
“I thought we really executed down the stretch. Our guys did not panic. The free-throw line almost cost us, you can’t shoot 52 percent, miss all those free throws and expect to win a game, but credit our guys for making plays, playing hard, sharing the ball and coming up with key stops.”
The Huskies shot 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from the field in the two overtimes combined, while holding FIU to just 25 percent (3-of-12) shooting in the extra sessions to pull out the victory.
With just over four minutes to play in regulation, Armstead split a pair from the free-throw line to even the game at 50. The lead swung back-and-forth between the Huskies and Panthers and Maric went to the free-throw line with 18 seconds remaining and NIU in front by one, 56-55. The sophomore from Croatia made both free throws to give NIU a three-point lead, but Elmo Stephen drained a triple with five seconds left in regulation to pull FIU even, 58-58.
NIU had a chance to win it just before the buzzer to end regulation, but a triple try by senior Michael Orris came up empty and the game went to overtime.
In the first overtime, NIU and FIU both started slowly on the offensive end. NIU led 61-60 heading into the final minute but a short corner jumper from Donte McGill gave the lead back to FIU, 62-61, with 33 seconds to play.
McGill finished with a game-high 23 points for the Panthers.
After an empty possession by the Huskies, NIU fouled to send Kimar Williams to the line for FIU. Williams made a pair as the Panthers took a 64-61 lead with 18 seconds to play.
NIU exchanged a pair of quick layups by Orris and Iroegbu with two more free throws by FIU as the Huskies trimmed the lead to one, 66-65, with 6.9 seconds left.
After starting the extra session 6-of-6 from the line, FIU split a pair and Baker raced the length of the court for a layup with 0.7 seconds left to tie the game at 67 and force a second overtime.
Maric opened the period with a bucket for the Huskies but NIU answered with the next four to take a 71-69 lead with just under four minutes to play in overtime number two. Another basket by Maric pulled the Huskies even before Daviyon Draper split a pair of free throws to give FIU a 72-71 lead with 2:25 to play.
On the next possession, Armstead buried a triple, just the third of the night for the Huskies, to put NIU in front, 74-72. The Huskies would hold the Panthers scoreless in the final two minutes of the second overtime and hang on for the victory.
Four Panthers scored in double figures, led by McGill’s 23 points; Stephen added 15 for NIU, Williams chipped in 13 and Draper finished with a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
NIU will return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 22, as the Huskies close the Pre-Christmas portion of their schedule against Roosevelt University. Game time against the Lakers is slated for 7 p.m.