Mid-Winter Tourney's: Du Quoin's Back in Contention

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ With its chances of a top four finish-and to a certain extent perhaps even its season-hanging in the balance at the 45th Annual Sparta Mid-Winter Classic, Du Quoin High School's Boys Basketball team roared back to life Thursday night.

The Indians, trailing Trico 30-20 and seemingly dead in the water at halftime, rallied to post a 56-55 victory in the final game of the SMWC's thir session,

Du Quoin, 12-6, is 1-1 in Pool A play entering Friday night's 7 p.m. tussle with Lebanon (0-2). A victory forges the Tribe into a three-way tie for the pool's top spot with both Trico and Red Bud. Who advances to Saturday's championship game would then be determined by free throw percentage among the 2-1 squads.

"This team was really down emotionally at halftime but refused to give up," Indians coach Mike Crews said. "I couldn't be any prouder of the effort. This is certainly a step back in the right direction."

Trico (12-6) built its double digit halftime lead behind the scoring of sophomore guard Jesse Smith, who shredded the Du Quoin defense for 17 first half points.

The third quarter, however, was a totally different story as the Indians caught fire with a 14-4 spurt. A.J. Hill's baseline drive to the hoop knotted things at 34-34. The Pioneers then mounted a 9-3 surge to close the quarter, grabbing control again at 43-37.

Another Du Quoin spurt, this time a 7-0 run, started the final frame.

Hill's steal and run out basket put the Tribe in front, 44-43, with just five minutes left. The lead was Du Quoin's first since early on and set the stage for an exciting finish.

After Tyler Coleman gave Trico its final edge at 47-46, Hill cashed in with another offensive rebound basket to put Du Quoin ahead for good.

Clarry then pulled off the game's defensive gem, blocking Logan Thies' shot and then racing for an uncontested lay-up. Thies managed two free throws with 2:49 to go, but Dalton Morgan answered in the paint to again push the Indian lead back to three.

Morgan scored again for a brief five-point Du Quoin edge with 1:38 left before disaster nearly struck.

Smith scored the next four points as the Tribe lead whittled down to 54-53.

Du Quoin held the ball for nearly 70 seconds before J.C. Davis was fouled. The sophomore cooly sank both shots with 15.3 left, extending the lead (56-53) back to three points.

Clarry and Davis then put just enough defensive pressure on Smith to force an off-balance three-point try with about five seconds to go.

Milo Richmond threw in the offensive rebound as time expired, accounting for the final margin.

"Marcus Clarry had just a great game off the bench and really gave us a spark defensively," Crews said. "And I thought A.J. Hill (nine points, nine rebounds) played well. We did a much better job in the second half of dealing with Trico's dribble penetration. And we hit the glass pretty good."

Morgan topped Du Quoin with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He also blocked three shots.

Matt Gossett-despite aggravating an exisiting ankle injury-finished with 10 points (all in the second half). Reed (nine points, four steals) and Davis (seven points) were also solid.

"We did a great job of holding the ball and did an especially better job with it during the second half," Crews said. "Our point guards (Davis and Reed) should get a lot of credit for that."

Smith (21) and Richmond (14) keyed Trico. Leading scorer Logan Thies was held to eight points.

Lebanon lost to Red Bud 60-45 and Columbia (2-0) blasted Steeleville (0-2) 68-46 in Thursday's early play.

Du Quoin 56, Trico 55

Du Quoin (12-6): Hill 4 1-2 9, Reed 1 (2) 0-0 8, Morgan 9 0-2 18, Schneider 0 0-0 0, Gossett 3 4-6 10, Flint 0 0-0 0, Davis 1 (1) 2-2 7, Youngman 0 0-0 0, Clarry 2 0-0 4. Total 20 (3) 7-12 56.

Trico (12-6): Thies 3 2-2 8, Richmond 7 0-1 14, Wilson 0 0-0 0, McCaleb 1 1-1 3, Smith 9 5-9 23, Carlock 1 (1) 0-0 5, Heins 0 0-0 0, Witthoft 0 0-0 0, Coleman 1 0-0 2. Total 22 (1) 8-13 56.

DHS 13 07 17 19-56

Trico 18 12 13 12-55

Three-pointers: Du Quoin 3 (Reed 2, Davis). Trico 1 (Carlock). Team fouls: Du Quoin 17, Trico 18. Fouled out: McCaleb.