St. Ignatius Survives Curie in OT Thriller for Sectional Title

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class 4A sectional championship at Mount Carmel delivered one of the most intense games of the postseason as St. Ignatius outlasted Curie 71–65 in overtime to punch its ticket to Monday's Super Sectional.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wolfpack came out with early energy, grabbing a narrow 15–12 lead after the first quarter. Curie stayed within striking distance early thanks to contributions from unexpected sources, with [player_tooltip player_id='2844431' first='Dream' last='Horton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2540149' first='Tobyus' last='Banks'] helping keep the Condors within reach while St. Ignatius leaned on the scoring punch of [player_tooltip player_id='2531962' first='Amir' last='Tucker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2323283' first='Chris' last='Bolte'].&nbsp; St. Ignatius began to separate in the second quarter as Tucker and Bolte started asserting themselves offensively. A key corner three from [player_tooltip player_id='2381425' first='DJ' last='Caldwell'] sparked momentum late in the half, and Tucker followed with a bucket just before the break. The Wolfpack closed the half on a 10–0 run to take a commanding 39–26 lead into halftime.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At the half, Tucker led Ignatius with 13 points, while Bolte added seven. [player_tooltip player_id='2839874' first='Chris' last='Chittaro'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2446999' first='Nico' last='Harris'] chipped in six points each. Curie was paced by [player_tooltip player_id='2734369' first='Justin' last='Oliver'] with seven first-half points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Curie refused to go away in the second half. Oliver turned up his aggression offensively, attacking the lane and trying to ignite a comeback. However, Tucker and Harris continued to match Curie's energy, helping the Wolfpack maintain control. Ignatius led 56–45 heading into the fourth quarter.&nbsp; The Condors made their move in the final frame. [player_tooltip player_id='2734439' first='Keith' last='Collins'] dominated the glass and knocked down key free throws, helping Curie ignite a 13–1 run fueled by relentless full-court pressure. With just over five minutes remaining, the deficit had been trimmed to one possession. Curie's press continued to cause problems, eventually cutting the deficit to just one point with 3:19 remaining. A massive defensive moment came from [player_tooltip player_id='2823632' first='Kendall' last='Holliday'], who delivered a huge block to give Curie a chance to take the lead.&nbsp; Late in regulation, Curie had the ball with 18 seconds remaining and multiple looks at the basket but couldn't convert, sending the game into overtime tied at 60.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the extra period, Caldwell delivered the biggest shots of the night. The guard knocked down two clutch three-pointers, including a dagger with 1:30 remaining that pushed the Wolfpack lead to four. Curie had a chance to respond, but Oliver's floater in the lane rimmed out.&nbsp; St. Ignatius sealed the game at the free throw line in the closing seconds, securing a 71–65 overtime victory and the program's first sectional championship since 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tucker led the way with 21 points, while Bolte recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Napoleon Harris added 13 points and Caldwell finished with 12, including two crucial overtime threes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Curie, Oliver led the scoring with 14 points. [player_tooltip player_id='2734439' first='Keith' last='Collins'] added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Saquan Commings chipped in 10 points in the hard-fought effort.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Ignatius now advances to the Super Sectional on Monday to face York after surviving another dramatic game in the Mount Carmel Sectional.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->