Prep Hoops 10 Best: Manual 57, Peoria Notre Dame 54 in OT

The ole cliche rang true again. It's hard to beat a team three times in one season and Manual proved resilient on its way to a 57-54 overtime win over Peoria Notre Dame in the Class 3A Peoria Sectional Championship. The Rams (18-11) got a big lift from Quintez Edwards (2019) who scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a left-wing 3-pointer to tie the game with nine seconds left in regulation. Moments later it was Pee Wee Brown (2020) who came up big converting an and-1 opportunity six seconds into regulation after an inadvertent buzzer, though play was not stopped and Manual capitalized. Down the stretch, Declan Dillon (2020) hit a right-wing trey from twin brother Connor Dillon (2020) to give the Irish (24-6) a 54-53 lead with 1:31 left in the extra frame. But Brown struck again with a scoop shot to re-take the lead. His rebound of Joe Gustafson's (2019) drive led to a run-out and layup by Edwards to ice the game. Watch the final 2:30 of regulation and all of overtime here: https://twitter.com/Sports_Aaron/status/1104201673851846657 <h2>1. MVP</h2> Rolando 'Pee Wee' Brown (Manual 2020, G, 6-2) - 18 points (8-12/4-4/3-7); 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block The Rams needed somebody to space the floor and Brown answered the call. He began the night playing inside against the 2-3 zone but Manual made an adjustment and played him outside. He hit back-to-back treys to pull Manual within one at the end of the first, and then take the lead to open the second. Brown showcased everything from his catch-and-shoot ability, driving to the rim and finishing through contact, and the ability to battle on the boards. He played tough around the rim defensively and had a big block on Connor Dillon late in the fourth quarter. <h2>2. Best Play</h2> How can their only be one? There were so many great ones, including Noah Reynolds (2021) slicing his way through the layup for a layup with 2:29 left. But it probably has to go to Brown finishing through contact to start overtime despite the inadvertent buzzer. That forced the officials to make a call, or not, and ended up swinging momentum after the Edwards three. <h2>3. Best offensive player</h2> Quintez Edwards (Manual 2019, G, 6-1) - 17 points (6-10/3-4/2-2) Brown couldn't do it by himself and Edwards had one of his most efficient showings of the season at the perfect time. He shot it off the bounce, nailed catch-and-shoot triples and drove with authority. <h2>4. Best defensive player</h2> David Czarjik (Notre Dame 2019, G, 5-10) - 3 steals Czarjik had an unbelievable showing. His hands were on a lot of Manual passes and dribbles to force a sloppy set or a turnover. His play in the first half helped the Irish while Connor Dillon struggled from the floor. <h2>5. Best guy off the bench</h2> Josh Ivory (Manual 2020, C, 6-7) - 2 points (1-1/0-0/0-0); 3 rebounds Ivory's presence alone impacted this game. Notre Dame had a hard time securing rebounds or finishing around the rim with Ivory patrolling the paint. His physicality was noticeable but he did so with only committing one foul. <h2>6. Best intangibles</h2> Declan Dillon (Notre Dame 2020, G, 6-0) The Irish point guard proved he could play. He made smart passes and was so confident in his teammates that, early in the game he started running back on defense as his teammate knocked down a shot. Dillon made plays that a lot of point guards wouldn't make. He was smart with the basketball against Manual's pressure, found the open man and picked his spots when to score with the ball in his hands. He also wasn't afraid to crash the glass, coming away with five rebounds. <h2>7. Best underclassman</h2> Marshawn Tolliver (Manual 2021, G, 6-0) - 9 points (3-7/1-4/2-3); 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist Tolliver stepped up tonight. Tuesday he proved he could shoot it and tonight he was aggressive attacking the basket. Most importantly, he locked up Connor Dillon and Noah Reynolds when tasked with defending them. He showed good on-ball defense and that he can block shots without fouling. His development will be fun to watch. <h2>8. Best under-the-radar performance</h2> Myriece Byrd (Manual 2020, G, 5-11) Byrd did not shoot the ball well, going 1-for-8, though he had a timely bucket with 32.2 left in regulation to cut the deficit to one. However, it's his playmaking that nets him here. He is skilled at setting up his teammates, whether its a no-look pass, his movement without the ball or his on-ball defense, which wasn't great at time Friday but was good enough to win. <h2>9. Best coaching decision</h2> Rams coach Willie Coleman and his staff decided to overload one side of the floor against Notre Dame's 2-3 matchup. That eventually caught all the defenders tied up down low or pressuring up on the 3-point line, allowing the Rams to swing the ball to the free man and then catch the defense on their heels with another ball reversal. <h2>10. Best non-game moment</h2> Kurt Pegler isn't from Peoria but he is of Peoria. For over 30 years he has done local television sports on WMBD and is one of the most caring humans in sports media. He was honored at halftime with the IHSA Distinguished Media Serivce Award, as nominated by the Mid-Illini, becoming the first from the Peoria area to be awarded. Pegler is not only great at his job but will greet anyone, give them the time of day and get to know them in a short time. Oh, and he as humble as could be. (Lines of the night follows the string of tweets below.) https://twitter.com/Sports_Aaron/status/1104192343475933184 https://twitter.com/pc_superfan07/status/1104222135705366528 https://twitter.com/TrishChristakes/status/1104218502280429569 https://twitter.com/VlahosNick/status/1104219009489219584 <h2>Lines of the night</h2> Peoria Notre Dame Declan Dillon - 16 points (6-11/2-3/2-2); 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal Connor Dillon - 18 points (5-16/2-4/6-6); 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal David Czarjik - 6 points (2-2/0-0/2-2); 3 steals, 1 rebound Manual Pee Wee Brown - 23 points (8-12/4-4/3-7); 9 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist Quintez Edwards - 17 points (6-10/3-4/2-2); 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal Marshawn Tolliver - 9 points (3-7;1-4/2-3); 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist