Lockport, Joliet will meet in Plainfield N. final
By Drake Skleba
Lockport and Joliet have been hoops rivals for decades. Friday night at the 2009 Plainfield North Holiday Tournament, the Porters and the Steelmen each won thrilling contests to advance to the championship game.
Lockport (6-3) defeated Benet Academy 52-50 on an 18-foot jumper from 6-foot-5 junior G/F Karrington Ward with 1.5 seconds left. Trailing 39-31 entering the fourth quarter, the Porters outscored the Redwings 21-11 in the period. That did their part to make tomorrow's 11:30 a.m. game with their rivals from Joliet the title match.
Joliet (8-1), which must have thought the Plainfield North football team had suited up for the game, rallied from a
21-7 second-quarter hole to beat the Tigers 59-49 Friday night.
Lockport and Joliet are the only undefeated teams involved in the five-school tourney. Benet (1-2 in the tourney), Plainfield North (1-2) and Lincoln-Way North (0-2) were eliminated from title consideration due to their losses.
The winner of the Lockport-Joliet battle will be 3-0 with a win over the only other team that could finish 3-1. If Lockport and Joliet each finished 3-1, the title would go to the team that prevailed in the head-to-head matchup.
The pair will meet in what amounts to a title match-up at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
Premium Preps will be there.
