State Finals: 1A and 2A Championship Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Championship Saturday kicked off in Champaign with a 1A Title game between West Central and Mounds Meridian followed by a highly anticipated contest in 2A matching up Benton and Phillips.&nbsp; PHI dives into what we saw from a prospect standpoint in <strong>State Finals: 1A and 2A Championship Games Notebook</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Central Senior Duo Carries Team to 1A Crown</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This one wasn't in much doubt as West Central completely controlled it from start to finish.&nbsp; They defeated Mounds Meridian to win the 1A championship by a final of 62-43.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2374495' first='Zack' last='Evans'] was fantastic for West Central being the catalyst as the all-state selection was at his best getting downhill for scores including several explosive takes in the half court.&nbsp; Crisp and creative hand.&nbsp; Rebounded very well and finished through contact for 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2374533' first='Chance' last='Little'] also continued his momentum from the semis to have a big championship game with 19 points and 6 rebounds.&nbsp; Crafty forward lives at the foul line and scores around the hoop on post ups and slashes.&nbsp; Both players are going to be really nice small college gets late in the process.&nbsp; Mason Berry also had a rock solid performance for West Central as the senior guard made several threes and had a couple slick takes for 13 points.&nbsp; The senior trio goes out on top!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meridian was in foul trouble with their stars all game.&nbsp; Star Antonio Flenoid Jr got it going in the second half with a dunk, toughness in the paint, and even hit a three.&nbsp; It was too late &nbsp;as his team was down a ton.&nbsp; Finished with 14 points.&nbsp; Will Thurson had a solid game hitting the boards for second chance points along with a couple slick takes for 8 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Phillips Brings 2A Title Back to Chicago</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It has been schools like Orr and DePaul Prep that have won 2A titles for the city of Chicago.&nbsp; This time it was Phillips who topped Benton 54-47 to win the state championship on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp; There were several times it looked like Phillips would pull away, but Benton always managed to keep it within striking distance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Phillips star junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2321396' first='EJ' last='Horton'] had foul trouble in this one picking up his 3^rd midway through the second quarter.&nbsp; They got a spark though from Elijah Harris scoring 7 of his 9 points in the last couple minutes of the half when Horton was on the bench.&nbsp; The stars would take them the rest of the way opening the second half fast.&nbsp; Horton started to get it going using his explosiveness attacking downhill for floaters and dunks while rebounding and dishing.&nbsp; Stuffed the stat sheet for 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.&nbsp; His running mate in the backcourt [player_tooltip player_id='1385290' first='Amari' last='Edwards'] also had a good game notching 12 points making some key plays when they needed to be made.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2217980' first='Phoenix' last='Childs'] elevated his stock in Champaign with a strong showing including in the title game with 13 points and 7 rebounds.&nbsp; Sound spot up shooter that defends and rebounds.&nbsp; Inside [player_tooltip player_id='2323290' first='Claude' last='Mpouma'] brought the physicality and made it tough on Benton's star to score all night as he had 6 points and 7 rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1970913' first='Isaac' last='Billington'] led the way for Benton.&nbsp; The senior small college gem attempted to carry his team in this one.&nbsp; Array of jumpers and got to the rack for nifty finishes in the paint.&nbsp; He had 19 points in the loss.&nbsp; Junior big man [player_tooltip player_id='1545126' first='Docker' last='Tedeschi'] didn't score his usual average, but was still effective in a number of areas.&nbsp; His rebounding and passing were on full display as it was clear Phillips was not going to let him beat them with his scoring.&nbsp; Also impacted defensively at the rim.&nbsp; He had 7 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks, and 2 steals in the loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->