The Ironmen fell to the Thorton Wildcats 44-37 on Saturday, Dec. 16 in the Southern Illinois Classic Shootout. The matchup was on of Community’s first real tests of the season as they faced the top-ranked high school player in the state in Morez Johnson, a University of Illinois commit. Image Courtesy of: Southern Illinois Classic Shootout

The Ironmen boys basketball team fell 44-37 to the Thornton Wildcats in the Southern Illinois Classic on Saturday in Springfield.

Ahead of the game, head coach Mr. Dave Witzig said the game was a “measuring stick,” offering the Ironmen a chance to gauge their performance against the state’s more formidable teams.

Community (7-1) entered the contest as the top-ranked 4A team in the Associated Press Week One poll, while Thornton (7-1) held the third spot in 3A.

The defensive showdown resulted in season-scoring lows for both programs, with the Iron and Wildcats combined for just 32 first-half points. This was a significant departure from Community’s Friday night performance, where they scored 41 first-half points in a dominant 72-28 win over the Bloomington Raiders.

Thornton led 20-12 at the half, propelled by Chase Abraham’s eight-point second quarter. The senior guard had 11 first-half points to lead Thornton at halftime. 

University of Illinois head coach Brad Underwood was in attendance cheering on his four-star commit, Morez Johnson. Despite a quiet first half, the Wildcats’ 6-foot-9 forward is the state’s top-ranked recruit.

Johnson had five points after two quarters, picking up two first-half fouls early in the second quarter. 

Johnson and his Thorton teammates held Community’s big Jaheem Webber scoreless in the opening half.

While paint presence has been Community’s bread and butter all season, the Ironmen recorded a season-low four points in the paint, all coming from Niko Newsome. 

The Bloomington transfer accounted for eight of the Iron’s 12 points in the opening two quarters. 

The Ironmen found their footing in the third quarter, putting up seven points in six minutes. 

Despite the Iron’s improved offensive output, the team faced a double-digit deficit, trailing 29-19 with nearly two minutes left in the third quarter.

Those final two minutes were all Iron as they sliced away at the Wildcat lead. 

Community outscored Thornton nine to one to close the quarter, including a stretch of six straight points from Noah Cleveland.

The Iron’s top scorer ended that run, slamming home an alley-oop from Braylon Roman, putting the Ironmen within one of the well-respected programs.

The Wildcats would head to the line, and following a free throw make, the score after three read Thornton 30, Community 28.

The final quarter featured what fans of both teams expected from the night–a battle of the bigs.

Abraham opened the quarter with a quick layup, expanding the Wildcat lead to four.

Community responded by turning the ball over, and Ironmen fans held their breath as Abraham flew by in the fastbreak. 

Abraham attempted a finger roll, but Newsome had other ideas. The senior guard swatted the shot away, a defensive play that sparked a comeback for the Ironmen.

Webber dominated the next minute, executing a spin move for easy paint access and an easy two points to put Community back within a basket. 

 The next play, Webber went back to his spin, this time on the number one player in Illinois. The Wright State commit tied the game up at 32 a piece with just over six minutes to play.

A fast break initiated by Webber’s block led to a Roman triple, giving Community a 35-32 lead–their first since early in the first quarter.

Johnson wasn’t going to allow Webber to earn all the attention and responded with an impressive post-move despite being triple-teamed, cutting Community’s lead to 35-34. 

Webber responded in kind with five minutes left.

Newsome pounced on an offensive board and kicked it to the top of the key, where Webber was waiting for the ball. After a few dribbles, the senior phenom threw down a ferocious slam, posterizing Johnson in front of the Ironmen’ bench.

Unfortunately for Community, the stunning slam would be Community’s last points of the night. 

With the Iron up 37-34, Johnson led the charge for Thorton as the Wildcats clawed back, demonstrating why he is the top high schooler in the state. 

In the final five minutes, Johnson notched five points and caused three turnovers, leading the ‘cat’s 10-0 run to close the contest. 

30 of Thornton’s 44 points came from seniors Abraham (16) and Johnson (14).

Community’s previous season low of 56 points came against Central Catholic in Intercity.

The boys are back in action Tuesday, Dec. 19, when they host the 6-2 Rock Island Rocks in non-conference play. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m.