Joliet 59, Plainfield North 49
By Drake Skelba
Joliet rallied past Plainfield North to advance to Saturday morning's championship game with Lockport.
Six-foot-6 senior G/F Anthony Shoemaker scored 22 of his 25 points in the second half. He also corralled seven rebounds.
"I do whatever I have to do to help us win," said Shoemaker. "Plainfield North really came after us today. Tomorrow we look forward to matching up with our rival Lockport for the championship."
The game resembled a football game. Plainfield North (5-4) manhandled the Steelmen and jumped out to a commanding 21-7 lead. Junior sharpshooter Jack Krieger (18 points) lit up the Steelmen for 10 points as the Tigers burst from a 6-6 tie to the 14-point lead with 3:15 left in the first half.
Joilet survived the first-half run and escaped down only 23-15 at the half.
In the second half, Shoemaker and the Steelmen took off. Shoemaker scored a dozen points in the third quarter to pull Joliet to within 36-35 after three quarters.
With 6:26 left in the game, Joliet took its first lead since 4-2 in the first quarter. Six-foot-4 Brian Byrd scored on a lay-up and a free-throw for an old-fashioned, three-point-play.
With the game tied at 44 with 4:20 left, Joliet scored five straight points. Senior G Tremell Autman nailed a pair of free throws and Shoemaker scored a hoop and a free throw for a 49-44 lead.
Next Plainfield North's 6-foot-6 senior Scott Vachon (13 points, seven rebounds) hit a pair of free throws and Krieger buried a trey. Everybody in the gym thought the game was tied at 49 with 3:25 remaining; everybody except the official scorer, that is.
Mysteriously, a 50th point appeared on the board for Joliet. Both coaches were called over to the scorer's table with the officials. After a short discussion, the game continued with no change to the scoreboard; no explanation was given.
Plainfield North did not score for the remainder of the game.
"Anthony Shoemaker is a special player and carried us offensively," said Joliet head coach Luke Yaklich. "I am really proud of the way we stepped up on defense. Hats off to Plainfield North. They really took it to us. Coach DiForti does an excellent job."
Brian Byrd scored all nine of his points in the fourth quarter for the Steelmen.
"Coach was really furious with us at halftime," said Byrd. "He told us we had to step up on defense if we want to win. We picked up our defensive intensity and picked up this win.
"I started slowly tonight and should have played better. But we won and we will come out ready for Lockport tomorrow."
Junior G Darius Norris (three points) hauled in 12 boards to lead the Steelmen on the glass.
