Pontiac Holiday Tournament: Saturday Notebook

PHI covered the morning and afternoon action from the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Saturday.  This featured three consolation games along with the two semis.  Read all about what we saw here in Pontiac Holiday Tournament: Saturday Notebook!   Championship Bracket   UIC Commit Carries Curie to Title Game   Just like yesterday the difference between Curie advancing or not was [player_tooltip player_id='1157211' first='Carlos' last='Harris'].  The UIC signee did it again in the semis vs New Trier.  The strong bodied Harris had his mid-range game flowing and was playing physical downhill for scores or fouls.  Racked up <a>22 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 dimes </a>in the win.  After a slow first half Curie 2024 wing [player_tooltip player_id='1157209' first='Will' last='Gonzalez'] drained a pair of big triples en route to 8 points.  They got nice contributions from their utility players as well with [player_tooltip player_id='1157351' first='Christian' last='Brockett'] (8 points) and [player_tooltip player_id='2105200' first='Derrick' last='Dowdell'] (7 points) leaving their mark in the win.   Early on the story for New Trier was their 2026 duo with [player_tooltip player_id='1554516' first='Christopher' last='Kirkpatrick'] using his athleticism getting in the lane along with draining a three ball finishing with 7 points.  Then it was sharp shooting 6'4” small forward [player_tooltip player_id='1552486' first='Danny' last='Houlihan'] who got hot from three going 4-6 for 12 points.   Benet Wins 2OT Thriller to Advance to Championship over Bloom   WHAT! A! GAME!  The 4th quarter of this one might have been one of the best I've seen all season as these two teams traded shot for shot.  In the first OT Benet 2026 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2105390' first='Jayden' last='Wright'] raced down the floor to bury a three to send it to a second OT.  In that 6th period of the game Benet threw a lob up to their star sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1552393' first='Gabriel' last='Sularski'] where he was fouled.  Made 1 of 2 at the line.  Bloom missed a shot at the buzzer to see Benet advance 59-58.   Sularski led the way for Benet with 17 points.  He did it in a variety of ways hitting pull ups, threes off the catch, back cuts, and reverse layups.  [player_tooltip player_id='1598682' first='Daniel' last='Pauliukonis'] had a massive impact on this game.  The long and lanky 2025 four man scored on cuts, put it on the deck, and had a big left handed finish late for 11 points.  Inside 2026 big man [player_tooltip player_id='2105376' first='Colin' last='Stack'] anchored in the paint scoring out of the dunker spot and trailed for a three notching 11 points and 6 rebounds.  [player_tooltip player_id='1598658' first='Blake' last='Fagbemi'] ran the show getting everyone involved at the point with his elite playmaking feel finishing with 5 points and 7 assists.  Wright drained the big shot to close the first OT going for 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.   [player_tooltip player_id='1545131' first='Elijah' last='Lovemore'] had a solid game for Bloom despite his jumper not falling.  The combo guard had several explosive takes off the bounce on straight line drives.  Also liked what we saw out of him as a passer as he was adept at getting his teammates involved.  Got after it on defense.  Finished with 14 points, 4 steals, and 4 assists.  The spark for them came courtesy of sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='1845361' first='Amare' last='Pryor'].  He is known mostly as an elite defender, but in this one he made 4-6 from beyond the arc hitting big shot after big shot for 15 points.  [player_tooltip player_id='1468249' first='Santana' last='Flowers'] got on the offensive glass and used his athleticism in the paint for 10 points.  Bouncy center [player_tooltip player_id='2318145' first='Elijah' last='Allen'] protected the rim with a couple emphatic swats along with rim running and tip ins for 4 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks.   Consolation Games   Richardson Drops 30 in Manual Win over Host Pontiac   Fun 8 AM game to open the day as Peoria Manual defeated Pontiac 65-54.  It was much closer than that score would indicate.  Manual star 2025 combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='1576114' first='Dietrich' last='Richardson'] was phenomenal in this one showcasing his full arsenal.  Best we have seen him play as he was slick scoring off the bounce, hit an array of threes he created on his own, and got after it on the defensive end going for 30 points.  Without question will be in the top 10 of our next 2025 update!  His senior running mate [player_tooltip player_id='1571918' first='Gerrell' last='Trapps'] had a solid outing as well notching 13 points.  Burst with the ball in his hands loving to attack on straight line takes.  Capable shooter, but is best driving and can dish off on occasion.   For Pontiac it was their senior trio that kept them in this one.  Another solid performance for [player_tooltip player_id='2318128' first='Riley' last='Weber'] who made an impression on us over the last two days.  The lefty skilled wing showed he can score on crafty drives, post ups, and go coast to coast in addition to his shooting he is known for.  He had 18 points.  [player_tooltip player_id='1373453' first='Kerr' last='Bauman'] is a tough two guard that has a crisp mid-range game netting 14 points.  Henry Brummel is a great glue guy for this team with the way he rebounds, gets second chance points, and hits threes as a thick bodied undersized post.  Finished with 14 points.   Simeon Gets Narrow Win Over OPRF   Simeon was without two of its top perimeter options as McKinnie and Tyler were both sidelined.  That made for a huge opportunity for Kas Nelson to step up who has emerged with a monster sophomore campaign.  The strong bodied wing scored from all three levels and got to the line for 16 points while grabbing 7 rebounds.  [player_tooltip player_id='1385305' first='Lorenzo' last='Shields'] also had a big game as the combo guard stuffed the stat sheet for 16 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.   OPRF got another big outing from big man [player_tooltip player_id='1385310' first='Alexander' last='Vincent'].  Great week for him as he showed his old school five man game off for power buckets inside en route to 17 points and 9 rebounds.  [player_tooltip player_id='1545121' first='Justin' last='Bowen'] also had a solid game as the 2025 power wing went for 12 points and 12 rebounds.   Top 10 Junior Has Another Big Game to Lead West Aurora   [player_tooltip player_id='1545116' first='Terrence' last='Smith'] continues to terrorize teams in this event with his size on the perimeter and athletic ability.  Another big game in the consolation 5th place semi going for 21 points and 9 rebounds.  His running mates in the backcourt continue to shine as seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1285522' first='CJ' last='Savage'] (16 points) and [player_tooltip player_id='1295535' first='Jordan' last='Brooks'] (10 points) also contributed in the win.

PHI covered the morning and afternoon action from the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Saturday. This featured three consolation games along with the two semis. Read all about what we saw here in Pontiac Holiday Tournament: Saturday Notebook!