CHAMPAIGN — Phillips junior EJ Horton has that easy, light-on-his-feet athleticism. When he’s at full stride or mid-leap, it appears he’s gliding through the air, faster and higher than any other player on the court.
That was lousy news for Williamsville on the last play of the IHSA Class 2A state semifinal game at State Farm Center on Thursday.
The Wildcats were clinging to a two-point lead and inbounding under their basket. One player guarded Horton. It wasn’t enough. A couple of seconds later, Horton was hanging off the rim. He had received a long pass and slammed it home to seal a 60-56 victory against the Bullets and a spot in the state championship game.
“We have the best junior in the state [Horton], and they put someone on him that hadn’t played all game,” Phillips coach Paris Martin said. “Stronger, faster, more athletic. I knew we could beat them over the top.”
Horton had 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Junior Phoenix Childs led the Wildcats (24-9) with 21 points. Sophomore Claude Mpouma added 12 points.
Phillips took control in the third quarter and led by 11 points with three minutes to play.
Williamsville (26-10) refused to concede. Junior Brayden Saling (21 points) spearheaded the comeback. The Bullets trimmed the lead to two points twice and got as close as one.
“That didn’t surprise me,” Williamsville coach Nick Beard said. “That’s the group we’ve been for the last couple of months. I knew they wouldn’t quit. We had a tall task heading into the game.”
Beard took the blame for Horton’s breakout basket at the end.
“I should have put somebody in center field there,” Beard said. “Give them credit. They made a really good pass, and Horton is a heck of an athlete. That’s on me. I should have adjusted better there.”
Carson Kohler had 15 points and six assists for the Bullets, and Brecken Thomas added 11 points.
Phillips, which starts three juniors and a sophomore, is achieving major success a year ahead of schedule. The school has a new gym with a training room and several other unique-to-Chicago Public Schools features. It might be the nicest basketball facility in CPS.
“When they decided to put money into Phillips, we were on the verge of closing,” Martin said. “The gym out there got new blood into the building.”
Horton says the fancy new facility didn’t have an impact on his decision to attend Phillips.
“I don’t think so,” Horton said. “Anytime there is a rim and a basketball . . .”
Phillips took its lumps against the larger schools in the Red-South/Central. The Wildcats started the season 5-6, with losses to Quincy, Simeon, Curie, Kenwood, McHenry and Richwoods.
They heated up late in the season, winning eight consecutive games and advancing to the final four of the Public League playoffs, where they lost to Kenwood.
Phillips will face Benton in the Class 2A title game Saturday. The Wildcats won the Class AA state title in 1975.
