Girls high school basketball advanced in three area championship games on Thursday night.
Heyworth advanced with the Class 1A Sectional championship at Lexington with a 50-45 victory over Decatur St. Teresa to send the Hornets to Monday’s Supersectional in Pontiac against Harvest Christian Academy of Elgin.
Central Catholic easily handled Monticello 52-32 to win the Class 2A Sectional in Champaign. The Saints will return to Champaign on Monday night to face Teutopolis in a supersectional game at Parkland College.
In girls regional title games, U-High handled Peoria Notre Dame 59-40 to win in Class 3A at Washington. The Pioneers face Richwoods on Tuesday in the Limestone Sectional. Normal Community lost the Class 4A Regional championship game at Champaign to Bradley Bourbonnais 51-44.
St. Mary’s of Pontiac took third place in the Illinois Elementary School Association boys Class 8-1A finals at Shirk Center in Bloomington with a 46-29 win over Ottawa Marquette. Roanoke-Benson earned third in 8-2A with a 26-22 win over Normal Epiphany. Clifton Nash edged Fieldcrest 41-39 in the 8-3A third place game, and Mokena edged Bloomington Junior High 57-56 for third place in 8-4A.
Michigan won the lone Big Ten game on Thursday, handing Number 11 Wisconsin a 64-58 loss.
The Bulls beat the Celtics 104-103 on two free throws from Jimmy Butler with less than a second remaining.
The Blues edged the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby recorded his 1,000th point with an assist in a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets, then scored the game-winning goal in overtime.
Illinois State women’s basketball hosts Wichita State tonight at 7:00.
