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WACO survives Pekin
Panthers push Warriors in Substate boys basketball opener
WAYLAND — The Pekin boys basketball team certainly gave WACO a challenge during Monday night’s Class 1A Substate 5 tournament opener. Six days after a 28-point road win at Pekin, the Warriors had to work until the final horn to put away the Panthers in Round 1 of what promises to be a topsy turvy road to the state tournament.
WACO turned a four-point fourth-quarter lead into a 15-point win, dominating the last six minutes of the ballgame to move on 57-42.
WACO’s Colton Leichty was red-hot early in the game. Leichty stepped out and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to help the Warriors jump out to an early lead. Pekin cut the deficit to 17-12 when Henry Adam nailed a spinning circus-shot 3-pointer at the first quarter buzzer, but Leichty had 15 points at halftime and WACO led 28-23.
“I started the game hitting threes,” Leichty said. “And then I just didn’t want to stop shooting.”
And keep shooting Leichty did. The senior post had seven more points in the third quarter, a needed boost as the Panthers were within seven points after three quarters, with the score at 38-31.
Pekin’s JaeDon Wolver stepped out to knock down a 3-pointer with seven minutes left in the game, which at the time cut the lead down to 40-36. The Panthers, at one point, had the ball down just four.
“It's that time of year when teams step up,” said WACO head coach Paul Kissell. “You saw the Panthers step up there.”
Fortunately for the Warriors, the defense came up with a stop, and Isaac Rich knocked down a dagger 3-pointer on the other end to stretch the lead back to seven. Rich’s long ball sparked an 11-0 run that would finally put the Panthers away.
“Credit to the guys for really locking in after last Tuesday,” said Pekin head coach John Swanson. “We got hammered at home by these guys, and were never really in the game. (Tonight) I was very happy with our effort and execution.”
WACO’s starting post players carried the load all night long. Leichty ended the night with 26 points, eight rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots. Chase Waterhouse went for 16 points and six rebounds.
“Our posts came to play,” Kissell said. “They were difference makers.”
Hunter Hughes finished the night with six points and 13 rebounds. Rich went for six points, and Reece Oswald finished the night with three points and five assists.
Pekin’s Vinnie Dahlstrom ended the night with 15 points. Wolver had 10. Will Adam scored six. Henry Adam and Cole Millikin had three points apiece, and Kasey Davis ended the night with two.
WACO (18-5) will travel to Burlington to take on Notre Dame on Thursday night. The winner of that game will take on No. 5 Winfield-Mount Union or Danville in the Substate semifinals five days later.
