The Road to Peoria- Du Quoin Class 2A Regional: Frankfort pulls mild surprise

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[West Frankfort's boys basketball team struggled mightily during the regular season with just win coming against rival Benton.

The Redbirds doubled their win total Monday night with a 47-34 win over Johnston City in the opening round of the Du Quoin Class 2A Regional at Anders Gymnasium.

West Frankfort (2-24) advances to face the host Indians (22-6) in Tuesday's first semifinal game at 6 p.m. before Herrin (19-10) meets Benton with the winners to meet Friday night.

Johnston City's first season under new head coach Wade Thomas concludes at 6-21 with two of the wins coming against West Frankfort.

"We just didn't play as loose as we have been lately," Thomas said. "It was a very choppy game on the offesnive end but give West Frankfort credit. They changed their defenses and we didn't adjust to what they were doing."

West Frankfort had a slim 20-18 lead at halftime but scored the first nine points of the second half and outscored the Indians 16-6 in the period.

"We made a couple adjustments at halftime to our zone defense and it worked out in the third quarter," said West Frankfort coach Kevin Toney. "Our defense picked up and it allowed us to get some garbage buckets on the offensive end of the floor and got us going."

The Redbirds spent most of the fourth quarter at the foul line and made just 9 of 21 attempts, but the Indians couldn't capitalize.

"The fouling worked but we didn't take advantage," Thomas said. "That's a case where you have to execute on your end of the floor."

Kendrick Simelton led West Frankfort with 12 points.

Nathan Butler added 10, while Dylan Vaughn and Taylor Cash both had nine.

Johnston City's Daniel Davison scored a game-high 16 points, while the team's leading scorer, Brandon Crider, was held to just six.

The game marked the end for seniors Nick Dean, Riley Hearn and Nathan Richard.

"I have to credit our seniors for buying in and working hard this season," Thomas said. "They provided a great example for our younger kids to follow."

Three-Point Showdown

Monday's advancers: Dylan Vaughn-West Frankfort, Taylor Cash-West Frankfort, Austin McPheron-Johnston City and Grant Montgomery-Johnston City. The foursome will shoot again at 5:26 Monday.

Du Quoin Class 2A Regional

Monday's "play-in game"

West Frankfort 47, Johnston City 34

FRANKFORT (2-24)

Vaughn 2 (2) 1-4 7, Ashtiani 0 0-0 0, Butler 4 2-4 10, Simelton 5 2-6 12, Cash 2 (1) 4-7 9, Weeks 2 (1) 0-1 5, Filkins 1 0-0 2, Dial 1 0-0 2, Emery 0 0-0 0, Hightower 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 17-40 (4-10) 9-22 47.

JOHNSTON CITY (6-21)

Richard 0 1-2 1, Crider 2 2-4 6, Dean 1 (1) 0-1 3, Davison 7 2-3 16, Solomon 1 0-0 2, Hearn

3 0-0 6. TOTALS 14-34 (1-7) 5-10 34.

Frankfort 8 12 16 11- 47

J'City 7 11 6 10- 34

THREE-POINTERS: Frankfort 4 (Vaughn 2, Weeks, Cash). Johnston City 1 (Dean). TEAM FOULS: Frankfort 17, J'City 20. FOULED OUT: Richard.

-Jeff Profitt contributed