THE CLASS 2A Road to Peoria: Bench, Defense Shine in Du Quoin Win

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ A spirited group of Bulldogs from Sparta threw everything- and then some- directly at #1 seed Du Quoin Monday night as Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 2A Regional tournament action began.

The Indians, however, withstood every charge by Sparta and left Pinckneyville's Thomas Memorial Gymnasium with another victory.

Du Quoin, 22-7, pulled away to beat the Bulldogs for the second time in four days. The final score was 66-49 and punched a ticket to the regional title game for the Indians. They'll play Tuesday's Pinckneyville (21-6) vs. Red Bud (20-9) winner at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

On the line will be a spot in next week's West Frankfort Sectional.

"The kids rose to the occasion and really played their hearts out tonight," Du Quoin coach Mike Crews said. "We knew this game was going to be different than one a few days ago (a 23-point Du Quoin victory) and Sparta really came out and challenged us. We are just happy to get out of here and move on to the next step. Beating a team three times in one season is tough. Beating someone twice in short stretch like this wasn't easy."

After spotting Sparta (8-20) an early 3-0 lead, Du Quoin forged ahead for good with an 8-0 run. Dalton Morgan (12 points, seven rebounds) scored off a dandy feed from Matt Gossett to give the Indians an edge (4-3) that they would never surrender.

Maintaining that lead, however, proved to be anything but a given.

The Indians closed the first period in front 17-7, only to see Sparta rip off nine unanswered points in opening two minutes of the quarter to pull within 17-16.

A basket by junior Logan Schneider-two of 32 from Du Quoin's bench- stretched the margin back to three. Ahead 29-20 after a conventional three-point play from Schneider, Du Quoin promptly allowed a pair of Sparta hoops before intermission.

Clinging to a precarious 29-24 lead, the Indians played most of the half with Gossett and Jamor Reed nursing foul troubles.

"Big Schneider stepped up and really went to work for us on the inside," Crews said. "With Goose (Gossett) and Jamor both out of there, we looked a little frazzled at times. The kids like Schneider, Cody Youngman, J.C. Davis and Marcus Clarry really held things together for us."

Jake Hargis nailed a three early in the third quarter as Sparta clawed back to three down at 33-30. Davis then answered with three's on Du Quoin's next two possessions and led A.J. Hill for an easy three-point play.

Later in the quarter, Davis dialed in from long distance for a third time, pushing the Tribe ahead 47-34. Clarry's steal and three-point play extended the lead to 50-36 as the third quarter ended.

"J.C. Davis was just lights out in that little stretch," Crews said. "He also came up with a loose ball and turned that into another basket."

Davis emerged from a melee near halfcourt with the ball, tossing a no-look pass to a wide open Hill.

Sparta couldn't answer the 9-2 run and would trail by at least 15 points the rest of the way.

A pair of late foul shots by sophomore reserve Seth Baxter gave Du Quoin its biggest edge, 66-46.

Davis' 13 points topped Du Quoin. He also had three assists and four steals and was the lone Indian besides Morgan in double digits. Schneider had eight points, eight rebounds, two blocks, three assists and three more steals. Hill, Flint and Gossett all totalled six points. Hill pulled down six rebounds as a dozen different Indians scored.

Gossett and Reed also sat for extended periods in each of the final two quarters. In a 72-second stretch as the fourth quarter began, both went to the bench with four fouls in a brutally physical contest.

Peck (15) and David Sams (11) topped the Bulldogs. Hargins had nine points.

"I walked into the lockerroom and told the kids that's win #22 and something to be very proud of," Crews said. "And Dalton Morgan stood right up and said 'no coach, that's just the first win.' I like that mindset. I feel pretty good about our situation right now."

THREE-POINT SHOOTERS

Davis advanced to Friday's final round of the Country Financial Three-Point Showdown, nailing down the fourth and final spot after winning a shoot-off against Sparta's Seth Buch.

Davis held a 5-2 advantage and hit seven three's to start the competition.

Youngman and Clarry each made six. Hargis (10), Peck (nine) and Jordan Thompson (eight) will also move on.

With Pinckneyville and Red Bud both expected to not enter shooters Tuesday; the foursome of Davis, Hargis, Peck and Thompson will battle for top honors Friday.

All four will move on to sectional competition at West Frankfort next week as the top four shooters from each regional advance.

At the Class 1A Zeigler-Royalton Regional, a pair of Elverado shooters moved into Wednesday's semifinal round.

Dalton Hasty and Kyle Kempfer will shoot prior to the Z-R vs. Sesser-Valier game.

Du Quoin 66, Sparta 49

Du QUOIN (22-7): Youngman 1 1-1 3, Hill 2 2-4 6, Morgan 6 0-0 12, Flint 3 0-0 6, Gossett 1 (1) 1-2 6, Reed 1 0-0 2, Clarry 2 1-3 5, Davis 1 (3) 2-5 13, Schneider 3 2-2 8, C. Rose 0 1-2 1, Carson 0 0-0 0, Bigham 0 0-0 0, Baxter 0 2-2 2, D. Rose 1 1-2 3. Total 20-34 (4-7) 13-22 66.

SPARTA (8-20): D. White 3 0-0 6, Austin 0 0-0 0, C. Peck 6 3-4 15, Hargis 2 (1) 2-2 9, M. Oliver 0 (1) 0-0 3, Sams 5 1-1 11, A. Peck 1 0-0 2, Thompson 0 0-0 0, Buch 0 0-0 0, A. White 0 (1) 0-0 3, L. Oliver 0 0-0 0. Total 17-47 (3-14) 6-7 49.

Du Quoin 17 12 21 16- 66

Sparta 07 17 12 13- 49

Three-pointers: Du Quoin 4-7 (Gossett, Davis 3). Sparta 3 (Hargis, M. Oliver, A. White). Team fouls: Du Quoin 14, Sparta 18. Fouled out: D. White. Rebounds: Du Quoin 27 (Schneider 8), Sparta 18 (Sams 6).