PONTIAC, Ill.— Joliet West started spectacularly, then let Simeon claw its way back into the game in the Pontiac Holiday Tournament quarterfinals on Friday.
It came down to the final seconds. The Tigers led by three, but the Wolverines had the ball with a chance to tie. It was the pivotal moment in the game. Public League players and coaches and fans would say it is the moment where the suburban team always fails. When the city’s basketball pedigree sparkles. Curie and Simeon have combined to win the last nine Pontiac titles.
But this time it was different. Joliet West junior Trent Howland stole the ball from the young Simeon guard at halfcourt and threw down a tremendous, rim-rattling dunk that echoed all 50 miles north on I-55 back to Joliet.
“I just slid my feet and I knew the crossover was coming,” Howland said. “I read it, so as soon as he crossed over I just took it and went on.”
The Tigers beat Simeon 71-66 and will face Curie in the semifinals on Saturday. It’s just a quarterfinal win on paper, but it is a statement, identity-building win for Joliet West.
“People never believe we can match a [Public League] team, whether it is neutral court in March or in November,” first-year Joliet West coach Jeremy Kreiger said. “It means a lot for our community and our kids. I don’t care about wins. I didn’t go for this job to accumulate big wins. I went for this job to help young men have these moments together because these things they will never forget.”
Howland scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds. He also threw down a memorable dunk late in the third quarter but picked up a technical foul for taunting.
“When I went up and dunked it I couldn’t control myself,” Howland said. “My body was just hyped up. I couldn’t react any other way.”
Jamere Hill, Joliet’s breakout senior star, had 19 points and four assists. Junior Jaiden Lee added 17 points and six rebounds. Hill has emerged as one of the state’s best unsigned seniors.
“I think about [getting a scholarship] every game,” Hill said. “This week was going to be big. There are a lot of big teams here and I’d get recognition if I played hard.”
Freshman point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. had nine points and seven assists for the Joliet West (11-1), which shot 52% from the field and 8-for-15 from three-point range.
“They made some shots in the first half,” Simeon coach Robert Smith. “They aren’t going to shoot like that again. They are just playing Simeon so they make it against us. They won’t make a basket tomorrow against Curie.”
Ahamad Bynum led the Wolverines (5-5) with 17 points and sophomore Jaylen Drane added 14.
It’s the first loss in the quarterfinals for Simeon since 2008 and just the 14th loss at Pontiac overall since 1995.
“Tomorrow is the big game,” Smith said. “It’s how you bounce back from this loss. That’s the biggest thing. It’s December. They can have it, they can win this championship. It’s not big to us. We will see what happens in March if either one of us are still playing.”
Live final minute of Simeon vs. Joliet West https://t.co/TjljUFvu2t
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelsobrien) December 28, 2019
