NORRIS CITY — The Goreville Blackcats are celebrating their second sectional championship in three years after edging Woodlawn 59-57 to capture the NCOE 1A Sectional title.
These two teams met in early February with the Cardinals rallying for a 72-67 win. The rematch, with much higher stakes, was an instant classic.
Goreville’s Kanon Webb hit two free throws with seven seconds left to break a 57-all tie, but the Blackcats couldn’t celebrate until Blake McKay’s last second bid to tie the game rolled off the rim as time expired.
McKay was sensational in his final high school game, scoring a game high 34 points.
Trent Glidewell led Goreville with 23. Webb added ten as did Cameron Hines in only his second game for the Blackcats.
Woodlawn led 16-12 after one and still held a 32-31 advantage at halftime, courtesy McKay buzzer beaters at the end of each quarter. Goreville took charge in the third, outscoring the Cardinals 17-6 in the quarter, including a 15-3 spurt to close the quarter.
The Cardinals answered by scoring 14 of the first 18 points of the fourth, tying the game at 52 on McKay’s three-pointer. After Glidewell put Goreville back on top with two free throws, McKay’s bucket and foul game the Cardinals a 55-54 lead with 1:19 to play.
That lead stood until Hines buried a three-pointer from the corner with 21 seconds to play, putting Goreville back on top 57-55. McKay hit two free throws to tie the game, before Webb netted the game winners.
Goreville advances to the SIU 1A Supersectional where the Blackcats will face Central A&M Tuesday at 6:00.