CHAMPAIGN — Lee Marks’ return to the court looked modest in the box score. The Mount Carmel senior finished with eight points and five rebounds Friday against Mt. Zion.
But his defense against Mt. Zion sophomore JC Anderson was game-changing. Marks, a versatile 6-5 wing, helped the Caravan hold Anderson to one point in the second half of their 65-49 victory against the Braves in the IHSA Class 3A state semifinals at the State Farm Center.
Marks had been out since early February with an elbow injury.
‘‘[When I was first injured], I wasn’t sure I was going to come back,’’ Marks said. ‘‘But as the weeks went on, I kept feeling better. I gave practice a shot, and it felt pretty good. My teammates gave me great support, and it really boosted our morale.’’
Anderson, a 6-7 sophomore, scored 10 points in the first six minutes. Then Marks checked in, and everything changed.
‘‘[Marks] posed some different problems with [Anderson] in the paint,’’ Mount Carmel coach Phil Segroves said. ‘‘And it was really our help-side defense that helped.’’
Caravan star Angelo Ciaravino sat with foul trouble for some of the first half and finished with 13 points. Mount Carmel was in rhythm from the start offensively, however, and was more than capable of scoring without Ciaravino.
Sophomore point guard Noah Mister ran the show, finishing with six assists and only one turnover. The Caravan’s starters had only four turnovers combined.
Cameron Thomas and Grant Best each scored 14 points. Mister added 10 and 6-7 senior Christian Uremovich five while also helping on Anderson.
Ciaravino, a Northwestern recruit, has been the focus of opposing student sections throughout the playoffs. He had a few interactions with the Mt. Zion faithful Friday.
‘‘I don’t really care about them at all,’’ Ciaravino said. ‘‘They can say whatever they want. It gets on my nerves a little bit, but I just stay focused on the main goal, and I know they are out there watching us beat their team.’’
Mount Carmel (32-5) took control midway through the third quarter.
Thomas made a three-pointer, and Mister followed with two free throws and a three-pointer to give the Caravan a 46-35 lead.
Anderson led Mt. Zion (35-2) with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Lyncoln Koester added 13 points and five assists.
‘‘They started keying on me more and switched the defensive matchup [after the start of the game],’’ Anderson said. ‘‘I still think I could have done more.’’
The Braves started only one senior, Grant McAtee, and should be a major contender in Class 3A next season, as well.
‘‘It’s just a good experience for us to have,’’ Koester said. ‘‘We’ve grown a lot over the last few years, and this is another steppingstone in the process.’’
Mount Carmel, which won the Class AA state title in 1985, will face DePaul Prep in the Class 3A title game Saturday. The Rams won the conference matchup 41-38 on Feb. 12, but Marks didn’t play in that game.
