Riverton boys hoops adds drama to Sangamo race with comeback win, and other Friday results

Here are the boys basketball results around Springfield for Friday:

Riverton's electric freshman: How this freshman guard has been instrumental to Riverton’s success in boys basketball

Calvary's top tandem: How this superlative duo has cultivated an enduring bond through basketball at Calvary

Earlier this week: New Berlin survives Auburn for Sangamo lead, and other boys basketball results from Tuesday

For the love of the game: Why this Lutheran High junior is volunteering her time and energy as a basketball referee

Girls playoff schedule: Here is the 2024 girls basketball postseason schedule for teams in the Springfield area

Girls basketball roundup: Springfield avenges Glenwood in regular-season finale

Friday's results

RIVERTON 31, NEW BERLIN 26: At the Hawk Center, Riverton was mired by shooting woes — not unlike its preceding 46-30 loss to Athens on Tuesday.

The Hawks particularly struggled in the first half with just four field goals for a 15-9 halftime deficit before suddenly ending on a flourish with a 12-0 run in the final seven minutes to escape with the Sangamo Conference win.

Riverton trailed 26-19 until Isaac Crumrine’s steal set up a Julian Rice layup. Crumrine followed with a layup himself less than a minute later.

Rice capitalized on another turnover forced by Griffin Hartlaub to reach within one point, and the freshman guard drilled the go-ahead 3 with 3:55 remaining. Riverton outscored New Berlin 14-2 in the final stanza.

Crumrine led the Hawks (21-6, 5-2 Sangamo) with nine points. Rice, coming off the bench, scored all of his seven points in the fourth period. Antonyo Davis and Jaxson Miller each had four points.

“It felt like an exact carbon copy (of the Athens game) in the first half,” Riverton coach Matt Mead said. “Athens is a very good team and New Berlin is an excellent team. (New Berlin coach) Blake (Lucas) does a great job with them and their defense is elite. We were 4-for-27 at halftime and I felt like we were getting some good shots.

“I told them, ‘You’ve just got to trust yourself, stay with it, keep shooting, believe in yourself and eventually we’ll pull through,’ and we barely did.”

Gannon Dodd carried New Berlin (20-8, 5-2) with 13 points. The Pretzels, the defending Sangamo champions, drop into a four-way tie atop the league standings with Riverton, Auburn and Pleasant Plains.

New Berlin totaled 12 turnovers, including four in the final period.

“We play fast and we’re all pretty fast,” Hartlaub said. “I always thought I was fast until I played with these guys. I was like, ‘Wow, we’re fast,’ so we’re going to use our speed to our advantage. That felt good.”

DECATUR MACARTHUR 45, LINCOLN 40: At Roy S. Anderson Gym, Stevie Tatum made two 3-pointers, went 4-for-4 from the free throw line and scored a game-high 18 points as MacArthur won the Central State Eight Conference championship with a 10-0 record.

The Generals (23-3 overall) led 24-20 at halftime and 35-27 after three quarters. Lincoln got within 39-34 with 1 minute 23 seconds remaining on a 3-pointer by Aidan Gowin. The Railers got within three points three times but MacArthur — which finished 12 of 18 from the foul line — made enough free throws to ice the win.

Sean Lee added eight points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and MJ Murphy scored seven points for MacArthur. The Generals outrebounded Lincoln 30-18, including getting 10 on the offensive end.

Gowin and Drew Hayes paced Lincoln (20-9, 8-2) with 12 points apiece.  

ROCHESTER 53, SPRINGFIELD HIGH 50: At Willard Duey Gym, Rochester built a 28-17 lead at the half and held off the Senators in the Central State Eight Conference finale.

The Rockets (13-16 overall, 4-6 in the CS8) went into the final period ahead 40-32. The Senators got as close as 52-50 when Angel Cintron made a 3-pointer with less than 30 seconds to go in the fourth.

Rochester’s Henry Buecker missed a pair of free throws with :12 remaining but got the offensive rebound and was fouled. He made 1 of 2 free throws and the Senators’ 3-point attempt to tie the game was missed as time expired.

Eli Cox, who went 3-for-4 from the line late in the fourth quarter and had a 3-pointer, finished with a game-high 17 points to go with six rebounds. Kai Bruce nailed three 3s and scored 13 points and Canon Bruce followed with 10. Tanner Beal (seven points) pulled down 14 rebounds for the Rockets.

Cintron, Antone Rhinehouse and Seth Impson tallied eight points apiece for Springfield (6-19, 1-9).

SOUTHEAST 77, JACKSONVILLE 64: At Herb Scheffler Gym, Reggie Rice, Dom Hobbs and Carlos Day combined for 56 points and Southeast won the Central State Eight Conference finale.

Rice had two 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the first half. Hobbs and Day collected 11 points apiece in the first two quarters as the Spartans (9-20, 3-7) opened up a 42-24 lead at intermission. Rice finished with a game-high 21 and Hobbs (7-for-7 from the line) and Day followed with 19 and 16 points, respectively.

Amaree Burries nailed two 3s, went 6-for-6 from the line and led Jacksonville (11-17, 3-7) with 18 points. Isaiah Martinez and LaMarion Williams combined for five treys, and each scored 13 in the loss.

NORMAL U-HIGH 62, SACRED HEART-GRIFFIN 57: At Jim Belz Gym, Miles Kirin paced the Pioneers with 25 points in the Central State Eight Conference finale.

Owen Kirby supplied 15 points while Owan Nelson had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds to lift the Pioneers to 19-9 overall and 7-3 in the CS8.

SHG fell to 10-17 overall and 2-8 in the league.

LITCHFIELD 59, STAUNTON 29: At Staunton, Litchfield rolled up a 17-point halftime lead with seven 3-pointers and remained unbeaten in the South Central Conference.

AJ Odle dialed up five 3s and finished with 15 points. Victor McGill put in three triples and had 14 first-half points to end with a game-high 19. Keenan Powell made one of Litchfield’s 12 3-pointers and added nine points.

Litchfield improved to 19-10 overall and 7-0 in league play. Aaron Bodner led Staunton (14-13, 2-5) with seven points.

AUBURN 49, MAROA-FORSYTH 47: At Maroa, Auburn led by eight points after three periods and eked out a Sangamo Conference victory.

Cooper Carter (six points) made one of his two 3-pointers and Auburn made 4 of 8 free throws in the fourth quarter to improve to 23-5 overall and 5-2 in the Sangamo.

Carter Hunley (7 of 9 free throws) and Clayton Kessler combined for 20 first-half points, and both finished with 13 apiece to lead Auburn.

Kaiden Maurer netted 14 points in the second half and ended with a game-high 17 for Maroa-Forsyth (16-10, 3-3). Jacoby Lane chipped in 11 points with two 3s.

ATHENS 53, MASON CITY ILLINI CENTRAL 42: At Mason City, Pryor Reynolds got hot in the second half to lead the Warriors to a Sangamo Conference victory.

Reynolds scored 19 of his game-high 27 points in the second half. He had two 3-pointers and scored eight points when Athens went into intermission with a slim 21-19 lead.

Zac Laird provided Athens (17-11 overall, 4-3 in the Sangamo) with 13 points and teammate Ashtyn Janssen buried three 3s and totaled 11.

Lucas Power and Trenton Dietrich combined for five 3s and had 15 and 14 points, respectively, for the Cougars.

PANA 52, GILLESPIE 49: At Pana, the Panthers outscored Gillespie 19-13 in the fourth quarter and registered a South Central Conference win.

Pana made five baskets with a 3-pointer and went 8-for-13 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.

Eight different players scored for Pana (8-20 overall, 3-4 in the SCC) and Ethan Hicks knocked down three 3s and led the team with 12 points. Clayton Worker made two shots from 3-point range and scored nine, while Ross Glick and Cash Lynch concluded with seven apiece.

Jack Kaylor scored 19 points and Bryce Hohnsbehn was next with 12 for Gillespie (7-22, 0-7).

PLEASANT PLAINS 78, STANFORD OLYMPIA 54: At Plains, Cooper Schallenberg reached 1,000 career points and the Cardinals improved to 14-13 overall and 5-2 in the Sangamo Confnerence.

CHATHAM GLENWOOD 57, DECATUR EISENHOWER 35: At Glenwood, the Titans wrapped up Central State Eight Conference play with a win and improved to 18-9 overall and 8-2 in the league.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Boys basketball results around Springfield for Feb. 9-10